SCARLET
by skybluescramble
Summary: He made a big sin in the past by doing the prohibited. Now, he must repay for what he has done. But the one who holds the key is her. UPDATE: 17TH CHAPTER.
1. The Past, The Present, or The Future

from **skybluescramble**:

Hey, this is me and yes, I hereby deliver another Card Captor Sakura fanfiction to you.

You can call me running away from finishing **Damsel in Distress, Daidouji** but lately I've been hitting a wall in certain parts of the story. I have the whole plot with me, but I still cannot decide the best way to connect the dots together and write them down. Meanwhile, out of the blue, this idea popped out in my mind when I was in a brainstorming session.

So this is the prologue.

I know it's not much, but please enjoy and tell me what you think.

PS: forgive my bad english, and thanks to **Lemon Sherbet** for checking up this chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><span>SUMMARY:<span>

He made a big sin in the past by doing the prohibited.

Now, he must repay for what he has done. But the one who holds the key is her.

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

.

PIECE #0:

**The Past, The Present, or The Future**

.

ALL she could feel was water.

Water everywhere.

Trapping her inside, drowning her to death; too much water for her to push her head up to the surface.

Her chest hurt.

Her throat burned.

Her lungs screamed in their need of oxygen.

_Help!_ She desperately shouted, but as she opened her mouth to speak, only bubbles came out and she knew it had been a stupid decision. She had lost more air for her survival. To make things worse, she had also gulped down a lot of water accidentally. Her lungs screamed harder. Her eyes were in pain due to the direct contact with saltwater for a long time, her brain didn't work because of the lack of oxygen, her muscles and nerves were going to numb, the ice-cold sea had frozen them.

_Am I going to die…?_ She wondered in her last consciousness. Dear God, she was only twenty!

_Is Daidouji Tomoyo going to die here? In the Pacific Ocean, where her body was never likely to be found?_

But then, when she was just about to give up, her hazy and blurry vision caught something.

A tall figure.

It appeared beside her limp body from nowhere.

That was probably a man's figure, and he wore something like… a hooded cloak? Underwater?

However, Tomoyo was too tired to give a damn. She could hear voices inside her head, mixing up one with another. And beyond the chaos, strangely she heard someone's voice that was clearer and louder than everything. She couldn't figure out whose voice it was, yet it didn't matter anymore.

"Come with me."

That was it.

And everything went pitch black.

* * *

><p><em>AIR… air… air…!<em>

She felt the water was gone. She opened her mouth in a desperate attempt to take as much oxygen as possible to fill her burning lungs until she choked, saltwater spluttered out from her throat. Shifting to her side, Tomoyo found she was now lying down on the wet earth.

Was she alive?

Yes, it felt so.

Who saved her? That hooded figure?

She blinked a few times to make her vision clearer. The very same silhouette of the mysterious man whom she saw in the water was standing up three meters away. He walked slowly, approaching something that looked like a black pile of clothes near the cement wall.

Tomoyo gasped. It wasn't a pile of clothes.

It was a human.

She cringed in pain as her whole body ached. Tomoyo had no idea where they were; it was only a wide room surrounded by a great, strong wall with earth floor. She turned her attention to the hooded figure, and her breath caught in throat when she realized that the third person in that room was a boy.

A ten-year-old boy, to be exact.

_God. What the heck is going on here?_

Using her arms as a support, she tried to get up, wanting to approach that boy and check whether he was okay or not, but something restrained her. She looked back and noticed a big, heavy chain wrapped around her left ankle.

"Reincarnation of Clow Reed." She heard the hooded man speak to the boy with his deep, rough voice. "Let me ask you one thing. Why did you beg me to let go of your other self?"

"Obvious, isn't it?" To Tomoyo's surprise, he answered bravely, raising his head to face his opponent with gritted teeth. His face was so dirty with earth, just like his ripped clothes. "He has no business with this shit."

"You know, I can always find him…"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The boy shouted in rage, even though he was already worn out and powerless. "I'm the one with Clow Reed's memory! I'm the one who carries his power! Let him go free, please. I alone will take responsibility for what Clow has done. Please…"

The hooded man snorted. "Interesting…"

"Can't you just let him go?" Tomoyo said with every power she could muster, making them turn their attention to her. "He's only a kid! How could you do such thing to the weak?"

Silence.

Then,

"Daidouji Tomoyo." That mysterious figure was now making his way towards her, dragging the boy along with him. Mortified, Tomoyo trembled in anticipation (and pitied the poor little boy for being treated so badly), but she wouldn't let him know that she was frightened. "I won't tell you why you are here now… because I _know_ you'll understand later."

"Who are you?" She hissed.

He let out a cold laugh.

"Me? I'm not even human. I'm something you humans call 'The Punisher', 'The Judge', 'The Doom', or whatever. I have many names. Choose which one you like the most."

Forcefully, he grabbed Tomoyo's left arm. His fingers, although looked as normal as a human's, were bony and long, with thick, pointy, and sharp nails at the end of each finger. Without words, he cut her wrist with his thumb's nail.

"AH!"

Tomoyo screamed in pain, yanking her hand away from the pain but his grip was way too strong. She couldn't get free. Blood oozed from her wound, staining the earth with deep red colors. The hooded figure dragged the boy closer, and—Tomoyo gasped in shock—dropped some of her blood in his mouth. He coughed, choked, wriggled in agony as though his whole body was burning, yet Tomoyo could see that the man with hooded cloak (or the creature that took shape of a man) stayed still, watching the boy groan and whimper just like observing an object in a scientific experiment.

"Stop it! Stop! Stop!" Tomoyo pleaded. "Don't you see it's hurting him! Please stop!"

"It's something he must pay—"

The boy writhed…

"Stop! I say stop!"

"—for what he had done to 'The Soul'…"

His body jerked upwards… and fell to the cold ground…

Unmoving.

"NOOOO!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs, and then the vision blurred.

**.**

**to be continued**.


	2. The Hiiragizawa Eriol

from **skybluescramble**:

hello!

why, thank you for all your reviews for the prologue chapter! reading them makes me so happy. i hope you enjoy this chapter as well, and please don't hesitate to leave me reviews, because I'd love to read them over and over again when i need to get cheered up.

credit goes to my beta, **Lemon Sherbet**, and all my friends who left reviews: **Shanaa12**, **deadflo**, **redeyes143**, **sakuraakamichelle**, **EuroCuttie**, and **cheng**.

this one has a darker plot than my other fanfictions. PLUS, i tend to change some details from the original plot to make them fit in my story. i accept no flames, because in this site, one can have whatever imagination as he or she pleases.

but oh, nice criticisms are always welcomed :)

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #1:

**The Hiiragizawa Eriol **

.

IT was almost dawn when Akizuki Nakuru stepped out of the toilet. That autumnal night was strangely, incredibly cold; it was already the fourth time her sleeping was disturbed by the urge to pee. Sincerely speaking, she always wondered why her master bothered to give her body the ability to excrete. Well, she wasn't human, though. And that ability surely was a troublesome for her. She closed the door silently and froze when her inhuman hearing caught slight noises from the main entrance. Apparently, she had a vague idea about the source of that noise, but then Nakuru decided it would be better if she check it out herself. She didn't fear the robber anyway, not when she undoubtedly could overpower them.

Leaning her back against the wall, Nakuru watched closely as a dark shadow moved silently in the living room. Even though the dim light prevented her from seeing the intruder's face, Nakuru already had her guess.

"Another victim tonight?" She asked the shadow, "Master."

In a dramatic, slow motion that particular figure turned around to reveal himself, and by the time the pale countenance of Hiiragizawa Eriol came into Nakuru's view she sighed loudly with both arms crossed over her chest. It was exactly as what she guessed. And speaking truthfully, she disliked seeing her master become like this. But… this matter wasn't something that can be helped, either.

Eriol shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Yeah."

"Did—did she die…?"

No answer. Nakuru should have known the reason already.

"Too much struggle. She found out my real intention too soon. It's not like I wanted to kill her."

"I know… Master."

There was a moment of silence.

And then he spoke again. "Rest. We need to catch our flight to Japan today. Tomorrow we'll have an important party."

With mixed feelings, Akizuki Nakuru kept her eyes on a certain sorcerer walking off of the living room. His face was undoubtedly sweaty; she could tell it by beads of water flowing down his throat, and some also hanging on his rugged jaw line. She parted her lips to say something, but in the end, she swallowed it down.

"It's sad seeing him like that, eh?"

Another voice came in right after Eriol left.

Nakuru looked upwards, her eyes searching. "So, you're up too."

Spinel Sun flew down towards the Moon Guardian, its tiny butterfly-like wings flapped elegantly on its back. "Ah. I can't get sleep."

"It's been almost two years, huh?" Nakuru murmured to her partner which landed softly on her left shoulder. "Since his twentieth birthday when the Curse was awakened."

Not saying anything, Spinel simply stared at a certain spot where its master was a moment ago, its curled tail moved up and down behind its body. There was nothing else they could do. Both of them knew the story, they saw his suffering, yet they were unable to do a thing.

* * *

><p>HIIRAGIZAWA Eriol slammed his butt hard on his infamous Throne of Evil. His house here in England wasn't much different from the Hiiragizawa Manor in Tomoeda. It had the same style, same design, and same type of silence, since the people who lived here were only him, Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun. Sometimes, the noise of Nakuru fussing over things with Spinel could make their home a bit lively, but mostly they were surrounded with a tranquil atmosphere. Even more at a time like this.<p>

It was already past midnight after all.

Eriol's dark blue eyes drifted towards the table clock. It was a quarter past three in the morning.

He sighed, his chest felt heavy with burdens. His throat was burning. His head was spinning and it was painful, as though someone was continuously hammering on his skull. He could feel his pulsating blood veins under his skin. He felt like dying. No, this was worse than it.

He was desperately struggling to keep alive every day.

Blame that Curse.

No. It wasn't even a curse.

Maybe it was his Karma for all the things he had done in his previous life as Clow Reed, the most powerful mage around the world at that era. Clow Reed had violated the most vital rule as a sorcerer. He had gone overboard, for having learned and casted the spell of the Forbidden Magic.

It was such a very big sin that was almost unforgivable.

They, all people gifted with the ability to do magic—sorcerers, mages, witches, or whatever you name it—had an ethic code that must be obeyed and kept at any costs. There were some matters they shouldn't do, some things that were better left unknown, untouched, in order to keep them 'human'. To make sure they don't surpass God, since almost everything could be done easily by magic.

There were several issues considered as transgressions to the Ethic Code.

Killing people.

Creating a baby of living creatures using magic.

Attempting to make a dead person back to life.

And—

Splitting souls… in order to give the magician a second chance of life.

The reincarnation ability was something that Clow Reed found out was not his. He wasn't destined to have such ability, and being the strongest mage worldwide made Reed a bit more paranoid than the others. He was afraid of death. He didn't want to experience it. Even though he understood very well that human being couldn't run away from death, he still didn't want to die. The thought of his dying time haunted him all the time, making him unhappy and distressed.

He wanted to live.

As long as possible.

If he had to be reborn so many times… then be it.

But he wasn't blessed with an ability to reincarnate, so he had to think of another way. And it seemed that splitting his soul into two was the only solution Reed could come up with. Besides, by creating two reincarnations at once, he could give half of his magic power for each. That way, he wouldn't be the most powerful sorcerer in the world again. He might be able to live peacefully. He might be afraid of death no more. He might have a happy life.

Or so he thought.

Anyhow, reality proved him wrong.

Clow Reed's intention to split his power didn't go smoothly. All the power and memories of his previous life was sealed perfectly inside the body of Hiiragizawa Eriol only, who was reborn a generation after the other incarnation, Kinomoto Fujitaka. To make things worse, Eriol's possession of power and memories lead him to be the one who had to bear the responsibility of Reed's great sin.

Well—it wasn't quite like that.

Actually, Eriol begged him to spare Fujitaka's freedom.

…

_Him_.

In the magicians' world—or more likely, _society_—, there was a spreading rumor that ones who used the Forbidden Magic would meet him. The Punisher, The Judge; that was what they called him—or anything coherent with the previous two names. It was strongly said that there were some price lawbreakers must pay in exchange of their actions. And it seemed, from what Reed had heard, The Punisher was the one who has the right to decide what the 'price' would be.

Like a god's assistant.

Just as the god of Death—_shinigami,_ or anything similar.

Eriol choked violently; his mind automatically stopped recalling the past. He rushed towards the washstand and cowered above it as his stomach churned, forcing him to throw up whatever was inside his flank. Red liquid filled the basin in seconds and Eriol turned the faucet with haste, as if he wanted to flush it away as soon as possible. He saw his own reflection in the mirror, his dark eyes glazed when he wiped the remaining blood around his mouth with a hand. A cold stare greeted him fearlessly.

Disliking what he saw, Eriol grabbed a scissors nearby before he stabbed his own reflection with all strength he could muster. The mirror cracked loudly.

* * *

><p>SPINEL crawled silently on Nakuru's comforter, its tail waved slightly as it spoke in mere whisper, "Ruby Moon, you heard that?"<p>

"Yes," Nakuru shifted under the warm blanket; it was clear that she hadn't gotten into sleep. "Did he just vomit? That's the third time for this month his body refused the blood he took in."

"I am worried, Ruby." Spinel sighed. "What if he cannot find what he's searching? Is there any condition that will make his curse break?"

Reaching out her hand to pat Spinel's little head, Nakuru forced a smile. "Don't be, Suppi. Everything will be alright. Let's believe that."

And both of them snuggled back beneath her blanket, slowly drifted back into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>WHEN morning came, the Hiiragizawa Manor felt a little more lively than ordinary. Not only because that place was usually left empty, but also because a blue velvet envelope had some correlation in this rare phenomenon.<p>

An invitation.

"You tell me, Master!" Almost out of breath, Nakuru stepped on her high-heeled shoes and snapped the straps securely around her ankles. Her room was still a mess by the way; she didn't have much time left to tidy up things. Even by the time when hell freezes over, Akizuki Nakuru was never a morning person.

"Who invited us so you thought we must leave England for Tomoeda? And why do we need to go to the event by eight? Is there someone crazy enough to have a wedding ceremony _that_ early? Normally it would be nine, or even ten, right? I didn't even get much time to prepare, you know."

"If you had woken up fifteen minutes earlier, you would have the time you wished." Eriol's flat reply arrived.

Nakuru pouted. "I am having jet lag!"

"The one who slept like a stone all the way from airport is only you. Both I and Spinel are fine despite of the long flight."

One point for the master.

"B-but my energy was drained up because yesterday you asked me to magically transport the Throne of Evil here!" She paused with a contemplative expression, and asked again. "By the way, Master, why did you command me to transport your throne? Are you planning to stay here for some while?"

Eriol smiled mysteriously. "Don't twist the topic, Ruby."

Groaning, Nakuru raised both hands to raked her hair in frustration, but immediately remembered that it was already fashioned for the ceremony. "But I'm seriously asking here, Master!"

"You need to cool down." Spinel said in its infamous way of sarcasm as she floated gracefully, tailing Hiiragizawa Eriol who had been waiting for them at the door.

"Don't say anything, Suppi! I'm not in the mood to fight you back."

"No need. I'm always the right one."

Eriol smiled, watching his guardians bicker. He felt a lot better this morning. The excruciating pain he suffered at dawn had finally subsided when the sun rose. "It is the marriage of an old friend. Do you remember Sasaki-san, Ruby?"

Nakuru nodded. She walked fast to catch up with her master's wide steps. "The girl who dated your homeroom teacher, right?"

"Exactly."

"It's her wedding?" Spinel asked.

"Yeah," Eriol said as he got inside his rented car. "That's why we have to be there earlier, even though the ceremony will be around nine-thirty."

"Who is the man?"

Glancing at the blue envelope he put on the dashboard, the young mage smiled. "Terada Yoshiyuki… -_sensei_."

Nakuru gasped. "W-what? No way! I mean, they are really into it?"

"When you went to Tomoeda Elementary, I didn't expect their relationship will lead to a marriage. Your homeroom teacher must be really patient." Spinel commented, and Eriol nodded in agreement.

"Neither did I."

"But the age gap is—"

He finished it for Nakuru, "Thirteen years difference."

Both of his guardians blinked in disbelief. "Wow."

"So," Akizuki Nakuru cleared her throat, "Terada-sensei had been dating her since she was in the fifth grade?"

"Around that time, I guess."

"They had gone through a very long way," said the Moon Guardian. "And it worked out! I guess it will be no more a problem for now, but honestly, when I looked at them years ago I thought he is a bit pedophilic."

"Ruby Moon!" warned Spinel from the backseat, its curled tail pointed towards a certain sorcerer who was busy driving his car and its tiny mouth moved soundlessly as though trying to give its partner an important clue. Nakuru watched the feline as she gave her best to decipher the code.

_Mizuki Kaho_.

She turned pale instantly.

_Gosh._

_Ruby Moon is an idiot._

"I talked too much…" hissed Nakuru to herself, hoping that no one would hear her. However, Eriol seemed just shrug it off. His voice sounded normal—without any hint of neither hurt nor anger—when he rejoined the conversations.

"It's alright. I knew things wouldn't work out fine between me and Kaho. She needs someone who knows what she wants. And I'm happy that she had met that lucky person. Guess I'm too old for her."

"I didn't say you are too old for Mizuki-san, Master!" Nakuru waved her hand frantically in an apologetic way, and when she realized what just she said, she quickly countered it by another statement. "It's not like I'm saying that Mizuki-san is pedophilic either! I mean—"

"Breathe, Ruby Moon. Breathe," commanded Eriol, his voice calm and cool. "I know."

The car turned right at the second junction.

"However… feelings, especially love, aren't something you can control with your mind and logic." The black-haired man added, "Sometimes it comes at the wrong timing for the wrong person, but it doesn't mean what you feel is not right. I personally think that love is a gift. The only thing that matters is just whether you like the gift given to you or not."

Spinel gave a small chuckle. "Look who's talking. You've been single for two years, Master. No, it was two years and five months."

"There's no way I can date a girl like this."

They fell into silence. Spinel knew she had brought an uncomfortable topic. A lot more uncomfortable than Nakuru brought up just several minutes ago.

"Apart from that, no one really catches my eyes recently."

The last sentence was his attempt to make the atmosphere back into normal. And three of them understood it well.

* * *

><p>"LOVELY..." Nakuru sighed dreamily as she looked at her surroundings. Girls wearing their best dress, neat-looking guys, fresh morning air, everything seemed just perfect for a wedding of a good friend. Carefully, Spinel popped up her head from Nakuru's beaded handbag (she tried her best to imitate a doll, but stay immobile and expressionless while Ruby Moon was walking here and there with excitement actually needed some skill) so that she would not run out of oxygen.<p>

"Don't walk too fast. You can kill me right away if I stumbled out of your bag and got stepped on."

Nakuru rolled her eyes. "Come on, Suppi! The hell that would happen."

"There's always a possibility." The feline muttered.

"Akizuki… -san?"

A soft, melodious voice which had hinted hesitations in it called Nakuru's name from behind, cut off every possible remark for Spinel Sun that the Moon Guardian had desperately built inside her head. Slightly annoyed, she turned her back to meet the newcomer and snap, but the moment she knew who had greeted her, all of her annoyance vanished.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

**.**

**to be continued**.


	3. The Unexpected Reality

from **skybluescramble**:

phew. second chapter.

credit goes to my beta, **Lemon Sherbet**, and you who left reviews for the previous chapter: **Shanaa12**, **EuroCuttie**, **deadflo**, **redeyes143**, and **sakuraakamichelle**. you make my day!

by the way, i'm just done with the national examinations week! my shoulders feel incredibly light, like all burdens has been lifted. hooray! :D

enjoy the update.

and i'm looking forward for your reviews :)

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #2:

**The Unexpected Reality**

.

ERIOL scrunched his nose a bit as he walked around the church. Since the very first step he took at the parking area, he had sensed something different. _Smelled_ something, actually. For him, that mysterious faint whiff was so alluring… so inviting… almost irresistible. But then he realized he didn't want Ruby Moon or Spinel Sun to catch him sniffing here and there (it would affect his pride and dignity as their master), so he told them to go ahead first. The trio split up.

He swept his surroundings with observing eyes, but to his disappointment, Eriol found nothing out of ordinary.

Just a bunch of male and female guests.

_What's wrong with this smell?_

Raking his long fingers through his hair in annoyance, Eriol decided to stride towards the church.

* * *

><p>SPINEL looked up and hitched its breath as it saw a male figure standing right beside the young Daidouji. <em>That was close<em>, it exhaled in relief. Had it not been for its quick body response to stop its voice from bursting out greetings, Ruby Moon would have to face an awkward moment because of her 'talking plushie'.

Its big eyes scanned the looks of Daidouji Tomoyo thoroughly. Hm, ten out of ten. Having meddled with fashion world since childhood days made significant effects on her style. She was a Daidouji after all. Even though her dress, make up, and shoes were quite simple, people who saw her could know immediately that everything she wore were considerably expensive, head to toe. Spinel wondered how could Tomoyo still look modest and low profile with all those branded goods.

"Long time no see, Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru smiled, her hand extended. Tomoyo smiled back and took it before pulling Nakuru into a welcoming hug.

"It's surprising to see you here." She said, but by the next second she remembered something important. "Oh, and let me introduce you. This is Ishida Yuuki-kun. Yuuki-kun, this is Akizuki Nakuru-san, she was Touya-san's and Yukito-san's classmate before leaving for England."

Nakuru shook hands once more. "Nice to meet you."

"No, it's my pleasure."

"You're quite a gentleman," commented the Moon Guardian casually, earning a crisp chuckle from the man before her.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

They chatted for several more minutes until Tomoyo decided it was better for them to get inside the church or they would miss the ceremony. They met the others on their way, and although this Ishida guy was quite silent at first—according to Nakuru's opinion—he started to join their conversations. Credits went to Yamazaki though, for he had picked the most arguable topic among all: ghost stories in Tomoeda.

"There's nothing wrong with the Tsukimine Shrine, Takashi!" Chiharu pouted. They had been on first-name basis since officially dating.

"But years ago, a lot of weird things happened there! It had to be the ghosts' doing."

"What kind of ghost?" Ishida Yuuki found this conversation interesting. "I've been living here since I was fifteen but haven't heard one."

Yamazaki chuckled. "Oh. You missed the show, man."

They went on and on. Yamazaki told Ishida so many stories—which most of them were declared as big fat lies by Chiharu (she desperately reminded the other guy not to believe what her boyfriend said)—and Naoko listened to them thoroughly, for she enjoyed mystical stuff. Nakuru and Tomoyo were simply eyeing each other; they _knew_ what actually happened. It was either Clow Cards' doing, or an enigmatic young mage named Hiiragizawa Eriol.

Wait.

Hiiragizawa Eriol?

Clow Cards?

Both Tomoyo and Nakuru gasped at the same time when they realized they had forgotten about something… or _someone_.

"Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Where's Hiiragizawa?"

They said it at the exact same time and ended up laughing. How on earth could they forget them?

"Sakura can't come today," Tomoyo explained. "She's in Hong Kong with Li-kun. Well, her pregnancy had reached its last trimester so Li-kun's mother asked Uncle Fujitaka to let her stay in Hong Kong until she gives birth…"

Nakuru held up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, did my ears fool me? _Pregnancy?_"

"They got married?" Spinel finally participated in the conversation after making sure that Chiharu and the others were already far enough to not eavesdrop.

Tomoyo nodded.

"Why no invitations? Or news? Or anything?" protested Nakuru. She pouted in disapproval, hands folded across her torso. "How could she forget _us_?"

Frankly speaking, the girl had some points. It would be almost impossible to forget them, after all they did live in Tomoeda during Sakura's card-transforming days. But Daidouji Tomoyo had already prepared a counterattack.

"She did, Akizuki-san. Sakura invited all of you. I was the one who sent the letter."

"For real?"

Tomoyo answered her with a final tone. "For real."

"That's weird…" Nakuru rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "When did they marry?"

"Two years ago. Syaoran proposed to Sakura right after her twentieth birthday."

Nakuru huffed.

_Two years ago. That made sense, then_.

Her master was the same age as his fellow classmates in Tomoeda Elementary. Plus, his birthday was on March while Sakura was on April. So, he had turned twenty several days earlier then the Card Mistress. What happened that day was…

Oh yeah, she remembered.

The Curse's awakening.

Eriol was in a terrible suffering until he decided to use an isolating spell, making their house invisible to other people so that they couldn't be disturbed by anything. The spell also muffled noises—which turned out to be a huge advantage since he howled in pain every night, almost for an entire week.

After that phase had passed, Eriol began needing blood.

"You know, Touya-san was furious." Nakuru heard Tomoyo giggle. Daidouji was obviously clueless about what Akizuki Nakuru was thinking of at the moment. She always found that particular past event to be incredibly funny. For example, the way Touya shot the descendant of Clow a death glare was unforgettable. Not to mention his warning to Syaoran with gritted teeth that he won't give a second thought to kill Syaoran if he ever makes Sakura sad.

"Some things never change, ne? Touya is still a little too protective." Nakuru mumbled, earning a small nod of agreement from the raven-haired girl beside her. "His dislike for Syaoran comes first."

"But," Tomoyo broke in, "I think he just wants his sister to be happy… every single day. He cannot bear it to lose the sight of a smiling Sakura."

"He's a good man after all. That's why I knew how yummy he is since the first time I laid my eyes on him!" Nakuru grinned with twinkled eyes.

"This and that are different matters, you know."

"Stop mocking me, Suppi!"

Spinel snorted, its tail slowly poking out of the small bag.

* * *

><p>"HIIRAGIZAWA?"<p>

Turning around on his heels, Eriol's eyes grew big slightly when he knew who called him just now. "Yamazaki?"

_Oh. That mysterious scent… is getting thicker._

He could smell it in the air.

"Hiiragizawa-kun!"

"Yanagisawa-san? Mihara-san?"

Yamazaki's long strides gave him benefits. He was the first to reach Eriol's standing point before Naoko and Chiharu. Ishida Yuuki slowed down his pace, trying to match his speed with Tomoyo and Nakuru, who walked four meters away behind. Hiiragizawa Eriol was a stranger to him, so he didn't know exactly how he should act.

The young wizard did a handshake with Yamazaki and patted Chiharu and Naoko's shoulder gently when the girls pulled him into a loose hug.

"I see you've grown up quite nicely," Yamazaki smirked.

"So have you," was Eriol's reply in his failed attempt to be modest, because his lips cracked into a proud grin. Boys.

"And we were just talking about you."

It was Nakuru's voice. Eriol averted his gaze to his left and his eyes met with a pair of clear, purple-shaded orbs. His breath hitched as he inhaled; that undetectable aroma was starting to make him dizzy. He felt like being drugged, but it wasn't in a bad term.

"Daidouji Tomoyo." He addressed her—almost whispered her name, but she heard it anyway. Plastering a sweet smile across her face, Tomoyo greeted back.

"Long time no see, Hiiragizawa."

The atmosphere between them was slightly inconvenient. That was unsurprising though, regarding the fact that they were no longer pen-palling like they once promised each other. And Tomoyo wasn't the one at fault.

"It's disappointing that our correspondence didn't last as long as I thought it would," she said again with her melodious voice. "You didn't reply to my last letter, and since that time I didn't know how to reach you again. I sent Sakura's invitation to your address—well, the only address of yours that I have—but you didn't show up, so I stopped trying to contact you."

Eriol smiled apologetically. "My bad. And what kind of invitation are we talking about?"

"I'll explain later," Nakuru interjected, knowing that the subject wouldn't be clear by a quick conversation. "It also explains why you won't meet Sakura-chan today."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

"Oh, I need to introduce you to someone." Tomoyo's palms met in a soft clap before pulling Ishida closer until he was face to face with Eriol. She ignored the tense look on Ishida's features and simply said, "This is Yuuki-kun. He often helped me in college, so I asked him to accompany me today—as my date."

"Hiiragizawa Eriol."

"Ishida Yuuki," the man before him answered. "Do we need to shake hands?"

That question triggered a laugh from Yamazaki. Eriol gave a thin smile while shrugged his broad shoulder just a little.

"Not a bad idea, I presume."

"Do you know each other?" asked Ishida, alternately looked at Eriol and Nakuru after retreating his hand. He was curious after he had seem Nakuru burst in on Tomoyo and Eriol's conversation oh-so-casually.

"Ah, we're—"

"Cousins." Without even thinking, Eriol backed her up.

"Oh. I see…"

The next two minutes were considerably awkward until Naoko broke the silence after spending some time to examine the handsome young mage.

"You're sweating." She pointed out. A caring hand reached up to offer him her handkerchief. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine." Eriol accepted the cloth, muttered his "Thank you" and pressed it against his forehead. True, he was perspiring. What an unusual thing in a cool morning like this.

"Are you sure?" Yamazaki seemed unconvinced.

"Aren't you… aren't you smelling _something_?"

Finally. Eriol chose to spill out what's bothering his mind. The scent got stronger and stronger until his head spun. He could feel that it also provoked his hormones, ignited his desire, his painful thirst to a certain red liquid named blood. That was abnormal. Usually he just experienced that excruciating urge once a week—twice at most. It tortured him like hell, but it didn't happen everyday. Plus, he hunted last night in spite of the fact that his body refused the blood and he was forced to throw up every single drop.

"Something _what?_" asked Tomoyo and Chiharu in unison. The rest of them were also clueless, yet Nakuru and Spinel noticed the strangeness behind his voice.

"I don't smell anything suspicious." Yamazaki said.

"Can you describe it?"

Eriol shook his head in response to Naoko. "Maybe I'm just hallucinating. I'll go wash my face. You guys can leave first, the ceremony will start soon."

He walked off without waiting for the others to reply. That definitely made the sight of Tomoyo following him went unnoticed. Being a kind-hearted girl as she was always, she just wanted to make sure if he was really alright or not. Also, she believed that it was pleasant having companion when you're not in a good state.

* * *

><p>"YOU look terrible."<p>

Eriol, who was towering above a washstand gasped in surprise. That made him accidentally suck in water in through his nostrils and he coughed. He never expected her—Daidouji Tomoyo—of all people to be the one to follow him here.

"No, I'm fine."

"Liar," said Tomoyo curtly while pulling out a small towel in a size of handkerchief from her clutch bag. She glanced around first before taking her first step to enter the men's restroom area. "Sorry. I'm coming in."

He snorted, watching her movement from the mirror. "You cannot be here. What if someone sees you?"

"They are already inside the church. The restrooms are located outside the church, I'm pretty sure no one will come and spot us. Use this." She handed him the towel to wipe his face. "You're so careful not to hurt Mizuki-sensei's feelings, aren't you? Because it will be bad if we're being seen together inside such a place."

"…We broke up."

Tomoyo looked startled. "Oh. Oh, well—I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He turned around to return the towel and met face to face with Tomoyo, who stood right behind his back. His nose was so close to the top of her head, forcing him to take in her scent with every breath.

And Eriol gasped for the second time.

His throat went dry instantly. He didn't even dare to speak, because he had predicted that his voice would crack. His brain almost stopped working as his whole body screamed in rage, clouding his mind with one conclusion.

He had figured it out why he caught a whiff of that alluring scent right after getting off of his car at the parking area.

And why it became thicker every time he took a step closer towards the church.

And also, why the scent suddenly became so strong.

He had known it all… the cause of his giddiness and uncomfortable feelings.

It was _her_.

All that smell came from Daidouji Tomoyo.

"Did you put on some perfume?" he asked her in a low voice, hoping it would—at the very least—make his croaked voice less noticeable. Eriol panicked a little but he wanted to prove whether his conclusion was right or not.

Tomoyo seemed confused. "Yes, but not much. It was a chrysanthemum fragrance. Is it no good?" She started to sniff her inner wrist innocently in her attempt to smell herself. She didn't look at Eriol's tense face, who perfectly knew that the scent he caught wasn't even close to her explanation.

And out of the blue, his eyes fixated at something on her left arm which she was sniffing at. _A… scar?_

"What's that?"

God, hope she didn't pay attention at how rasp his voice was.

"Pardon me?" Tomoyo looked up meekly, their gaze met and Eriol almost swore under his breath. After realizing that it was the woman before him who emitted such a scent from each pores in her skin like a lingering aura, he found it harder to keep himself under control. His primal instinct to hunt for preys began to take over his sense, yet he wouldn't let it happen. He had to restrain.

So he gritted his teeth with all his might before repeating himself. "Your inner wrist."

"Ah." Tomoyo smiled, giving him a better view of her hand. He vaguely could see the greenish (or bluish?) thin lines under her creamy white complexion where those blood vessels were in place. It pulsated, slow and steady, and Eriol had to bit his lower lip to prevent himself from growling in frustration. "You mean this?"

The scar was about five centimeters in length, diagonally from right to left. Someone had to be close enough to notice that it was actually a scar. From distance it looked pretty much like a kind of tattoo, or anything similar.

"It still leaves mark." She said in distaste, looking down to examine the scar. "It doesn't fade no matter what I do to get rid of it. That makes people ask me over and over again, 'Did you ever try to commit suicide, Tomoyo?'. It… annoys me."

Eriol breathed in. "Don't worry. I know you won't act _that_ stupid."

"Thanks, Hiiragizawa."

"How did you get it, by the way?"

He needed to know. He wanted to know.

_Come on, spill it!_

"I don't fully remember what happened, but I got this cut two years ago. My flight to Hawaii wasn't safe and the plane had an emergency landing on the Pacific Ocean. It sank, though. The water filled the cabin as the oxygen started to run out. I lost my consciousness before I knew it, and when I woke up, I was already in a hospital with this scar." She rubbed her wrist softly while letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh," was Eriol's only response.

_There was nothing suspicious… but, her smell? Why does her scent attract him this much?_

Tomoyo bit her lip nervously. It seemed she still had a lot more to say and was in hesitant. "H—however, since that day I often saw a weird dream. It was always the same dream, playing on repeat inside my head."

"What kind of dream?"

"I saw a boy. He is tortured by a hooded figure whose face I couldn't see. The boy was writhing in agony. I couldn't remember his face, it's like something is fogging my memory, forcing me to forget the important details. I wanted to help him, he's just a kid! Perhaps ten years old or somewhere close… yet I wasn't able to move my muscle. I could only stare at him. It was distressing, seeing dreams like that. But it won't leave me alone."

There was a brief silence as Tomoyo took three steps backwards, giving some extra space between her body and Eriol's. "Sorry. Been boring you, I presume?"

"No," Eriol shook his head in disagreement; he sounded very, very hoarse now. "It's okay. That must be hard."

_Yes, indeed. It will be harder from now on._

"I'm fine, Hiiragizawa. That's just a dream, after all. Thanks for your concern." She smiled to him sweetly, making her way towards the restroom door. They were already late for the ceremony.

**.**

**to be continued**.


	4. The Forbidden Fruit

from **skybluescramble**:

hello people :D

thank you, **Lemon Sherbet**, my wonderful proofreader.

and also, to you who cared enough to leave reviews: **sakuraakamichelle**, **Shanaa12**, **deadflo**, **inori**, **redeyes143**, **EuroCuttie**, and **bitesizedallyx3**, you all are my mood-booster, yay!

**WARNING**: in this chapter, i try to push the rating as far as possible to the very edge and hopefully it will still be fine.

this is the update, looking forward for (i wish) more feedback from you!

(and... please forgive my messy english)

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

"WE know something is up, Master." Nakuru stated in a triumphant tone when the Hiiragizawa Manor trio had reached their home at noon. The Moon Guardian took off her heels carelessly before slouching down on the sofa in their living room. "You've been weird this morning. You mentioned something about a strong smell or whatever and we both could tell that your mind wasn't focused throughout the entire session of Terada-sensei's wedding."

"What was wrong?" Spinel Sun joined in.

Eriol, without even looking at his guardians, walked across the room to put his car key inside a porcelain bowl. "Nothing."

"You can just tell us," said Nakuru. "That's why you created us, right? Because we'll stick with you till forever. Even forever and a day."

Spinel blinked. "Now we sound like reciting the dialogue of a sappy movie."

"Suppi, you're ruining the mood!"

"Thanks, Spinel, Ruby." Eriol sat beside his guardians and patted their heads almost affectionately, lips pursed in a broad grin despite of his tired face. "It's really nothing. If there's something up, I guarantee that you two will be the first ones to know. Okay?"

Spinel nodded in acceptance. "Alright. Fair enough."

"Good." He reached out to stroke Spinel behind its pointing ears and jaw line and the cat-like creature automatically shut its big eyes to enjoy the touch. "Ruby, you'd better get some rest. The wedding party will start at seven thirty and we have to be on time. As for you Spinel, you can just stay at home it you don't want to go. Pretending to be a plushie doll for hours must be tiring, right? Then you don't have to come."

And he went away just like that, leaving a pouting Nakuru in the living room. She hated it that her master always wins.

* * *

><p><span>PIECE #3:<span>

**The Forbidden Fruit**

* * *

><p>BY the time he and Nakuru reached the location of the wedding party, Eriol kept reminding himself not to get too close to Daidouji Tomoyo at any cost. No, she wasn't allowed to be in his territory, which was around a five meter radius. He might lose control and just bite her senselessly like a predator.<p>

Damn this Curse.

His mind flew back to the first moment he was captured by The Punisher. At the time he hadn't created Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon yet. The Punisher took him beyond so many alternate dimensions and told Eriol that he had to pay for his unforgivable sin. It (he referred to The Punisher, since Eriol didn't how the gender and personally thought that creature is genderless) tormented him mercilessly to weaken his physical strength after somehow managing to disable him from using magic power. When Eriol concluded they were alone in that unbeknownst dimension, he heard somebody beg.

A woman's voice.

She begged The Punisher to stop what it was doing, to stop hurting him.

It ignored her completely. For the next minute, he heard a loud scream followed by a strong tug at his torn clothes as his body was dragged to another place. He felt that hooded figure forced his mouth open and then, something warm and liquid fell into his cavern. It tasted… bitter. Not to mention it burned his body, making him wriggle in agony.

_Blood?_

"You'll look for this woman." Eriol heard it spoke. "She's the only one who can make your suffering less painful… but there is one condition—"

...

_Master?_

...

_Who? Who is that?_

...

_Master?_

...

Whose voice was that? Surely there was no one calling him like that. There were only him, that woman, and The Punisher. Was he hallucinating?

"Master!"

"OW!" Eriol jolted in surprise as he reflexively rubbed his upper arm. Forcefully brought back into reality, he saw that Akizuki Nakuru stood near him; the Moon Guardian had pinched his hand with all her might. "It fucking hurts! What's that for?"

She glared at him.

"I called you five times and you didn't even turn your head!"

"Sorry. I guess I just… spaced out."

Nakuru huffed. "Whatever. I'll go inside to get some drinks."

Eriol nodded in permission—like she needed it anyway. "If you want to find me, I'll be somewhere nearby."

Left alone outside, Eriol made his way forward, approaching the small fish pond in the very center of the garden, surrounded by bushes of jasmines, lilies, and daisies. In the pond was a fountain, and under a decorative lamp, which reflected dim light on the rippling water, could be found a bench long enough to fit two people.

Eriol was accustomed with loneliness. Growing up only with Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon by his side had carved his personality as a loner, exactly like how Clow Reed was. He breathed into the night air as he stepped closer to the pond. Eriol wondered how long it had been since the last time he felt so relaxed. As long as he could remember, his days were always dark. He had to deal with those painful nights, an unsatiable thirst, endless searching for the owner of the right blood to consume, and hours of pointless research in the library (he looked for any way possible to make himself suffer less).

Then, he remembered.

That scent of his old friend that affected him so strongly.

Daidouji Tomoyo.

She smelled incredibly alluring—at least that was Eriol felt. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, but the scar across her wrist and the strange story she told him this morning caused him to grow suspicious.

There was a chance he had found what he had been seeking all along.

Perhaps.

It might be... that Daidouji Tomoyo was the important key to break his Curse.

But if it was so, then he would face another problem.

A big one.

How should he tell her about the Curse? He definitely couldn't just walk to her waving his hand and say, "Hello, Daidouji, I'm a cursed man and I need your blood. Let me drink some!", could he? Guess not. He needed an approaching strategy. True, Tomoyo was quite used to magical things since the release of Clow Cards years ago, but this time was more complicated. There were several consequences she might encounter if Tomoyo helped him. He had to tell her every single detail, slowly and properly.

The main problem was: _how?_

They had just met today after years of separation. Would it sound strange if Eriol asked her out, or simply to come over his manor, to talk? Moreover, she smelled as delicious as sin to him. Like a seduction. Tempting. Tantalizing. Would he be able to stay in control? Being calm and collected was in his nature, yet Eriol didn't have the courage to guarantee it if he had to sit together with Daidouji Tomoyo facing each other for more than half an hour.

He had been restraining his thirst for about two years.

_Years!_

People couldn't even throw all the fault on him if he ended up sinking his fangs into her skin. It was completely natural, wasn't it? What kind of tiger would reject meat when it was starving like crazy?

"Hiiragizawa?"

All of his thoughts shattered down, broken into pieces the moment he heard a voice he didn't want to hear most in such circumstances. Jerking away, Eriol gasped in surprise and a large amount of sweet, sinful flavor wafting from a certain female invaded his nostrils mercilessly. His heels hit the jasmine bush as he tried to make as much space as possible between them, causing him to stagger. Bad move, actually. The reason was, right after he regained his balance, Eriol saw Tomoyo made her way towards him. Those amethyst eyes filled with concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," said Eriol, brushing off torn leaves off of his pants and stood upright again. His nose scrunched as he tried building his infamous composure. He just needed not to think about that bloody Curse or his hunger for awhile. Only that. "I'm perfectly fine."

All would be well.

Wouldn't it?

"Really?"

Nodding, Eriol flashed a smile. "Really."

"But you look pale," Tomoyo pointed out, observing his feature closely. "You must be sick."

He skillfully bended the topic of their conversation. "Nothing to worry about. More importantly than that, why are you here? Is it okay not to join the other guests inside?"

The woman before him smiled. "Perhaps my reason is same as yours, Hiiragizawa."

"Is it?"

"I suddenly don't feel like being in the crowd." She suddenly sat down by the pond and crossed her legs to make herself more comfortable. "From the window I saw your silhouette... so I decided to joined you. It has been so long since we talked." Tomoyo paused, looking at her hands playing with the water surface, eyes glinted in amusement watching some fish swimming around. "Too bad this morning we didn't have much time to talk, either." She said with a small laugh, and after pausing for awhile, added, "I've missed you, Hiiragizawa."

Eriol gulped. His Adam's apple moved uneasily as sweat began to form at his temples. Her scent had grown stronger the second she opened up to him. It took all his might to take a long breath (distinctly, so that Tomoyo didn't notice), cooling down, steeling his composure.

It didn't work.

_Shit._

If this continued, he wouldn't last long.

His hunger and instinct would win over his logic. He knew it.

"A lot happened, Daidouji."

She heaved a sigh. Her hands slid down, moved lower to massage her calves. "True. We've grown up." As her torso bent slightly, her long hair gradually fell down from her shoulder like a raven waterfall. Eriol mentally groaned; the cool wind blowing past her only made him more frustrated than ever. The cursed sorcerer couldn't think straight anymore. He could feel it. He could tell.

How the control he tried so hard to keep was slipping away.

And slowly...

His hunger emerged at its fullest.

Eriol blinked. But when he opened his eyes, he wasn't the same Hiiragizawa Eriol standing near the fish pond a second earlier.

* * *

><p>A predatory look was all that could be found in those darkening orbs. The initially sapphire orbs were now turning almost black. His heart pumped blood faster than ever, moreover when his all of a sudden-oversensitive nose caught a whiff of her smell. Eriol sniffed the air subtly; head turned to her direction like an autopilot and he stepped forward, narrowing the distance between them.<p>

He couldn't stop himself.

On the other hand, Tomoyo was still completely clueless with anything happened around her. Her action of standing up was a total coincidence, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Eriol was already so close to her since God knows. She knew she was considerably small, only five feet and three inches, but even with her high-heeled shoes, having Hiiragizawa Eriol standing before her Tomoyo felt quite like a dwarf. There must be around seven—or eight?—inches of height difference and the intimidating effect upon her was amazing. She raised both hands in front of her chest like a shield as her defense built up.

"Hiiragizawa? What are you doing?"

He didn't reply.

So, she started to back off.

Nonetheless, Eriol followed her every move. Each time Tomoyo took two steps backwards, he only needed one wider, steadier step to close the space she just made. That condition didn't last long, since her heel hit the base of the bench, causing her to fall hard on the flat, wooden surface with legs apart. Her hands reflexively reached out in an attempt to anchor her body, yet it turned out to be a bad move, because it left her completely off-guard. Eriol saw this narrow opportunity and attacked on her; he dove in between her thighs—the dress skirt hiked up until her mid-thigh—, his strong hands pinned both of her wrists down, preventing her from struggling.

Tomoyo couldn't breathe. Her heart thumped violently against her chest as though it would explode anytime. This was too sudden, too unpredictable, and too intense for her, who barely let any man invade her private space. Dozens of questions floated inside her mind disturbingly. She couldn't understand how on earth this can be happening, but when she tried to think, the way Eriol nuzzled her stomach made her mind go blank at once.

"You smell good…"

"Hi-Hiiragizawa," she gasped, "…p-please stop…"

It looked like he didn't listen to her. Like a possessed man Eriol brushed the tip of his nose just under her breasts, drinking in her scent while opening his mouth to graze the clothed flesh with his perfect line of teeth. She was his prey. That was all his brain could process at the moment. Deep down, he knew he should stop, but this was already too late. He had suffered long enough. He wanted to be an egoistic jerk for once.

All the consequences be damned.

He trailed upwards, and, when he finally reached the exposed skin just above her cleavage, his tongue darted out, sampling, tasting. Tomoyo bit her lower lip, so hard until it bled, to prevent herself from moaning out loud when she felt Eriol getting lower again only to take her left nipple into his mouth. There were two layers of clothes separated them, yet he still managed to make her feel air-headed.

Would they end up having sex in an open space like here?

She wasn't sure. It felt… different. Somehow she got a strange feeling that Eriol didn't do this in order to fulfill his sexual needs, but she just couldn't figure it out. All his doings on her were too distracting.

"Ah!" Tomoyo panted when his hand—which at first holding her wrist still—suddenly crept under her skirt and gave a slow caress on her thigh, and she writhed under his touch. Her now-free arms lay powerlessly by her side as though they were boneless. Gods, she felt hot. Incredibly hot. It was as if a flame flowed through every fiber of her being, leaving her feverish and overheated.

His other hand snuck behind her back and pulled her towards him, flushing her soft body to his solid one as he inhaled deep at the crook of her neck. His body shuddered instantly; he had found his final destination. He journeyed around, laying a trail of kisses onto her jaw line, her earlobe, her collarbone, back to her neck, feeling his two pairs of canines grow sharper and a bit longer by the command from his brain. Eriol pulled back a little, staring in awe at her pulsing vein before ducking to lick the area just right above it, eliciting a breathy whimper from the amethyst-eyed lady in his arms.

Then, he bit.

Tomoyo screamed in pain. Her hands rose up immediately to his broad shoulders as she fought him with all her might, trying to get free. It was useless. He overpowered her so easily. His upper fangs pierced her smooth skin, tore the vein beneath and began to suck up her blood. He growled loudly when the metallic-tasted liquid went through his throat. It awakened him. He had never felt so alive before. His sight became clearer, his hearing became sharper (he could hear what people behind the windowpane are talking about), he sensed his body grow stronger and his power—yes, his magical power—which had been weakened in recent years slowly returned.

_This is… amazing._

He lost track of time. And control, too. He was near from draining her blood, had it not been for Tomoyo using the remaining energy in her body to whisper right on his ear, "Eriol… please stop…"

His eyes snapped open.

Eriol stared down at her unconscious body in his arms, eyes widened in terror as all rational thoughts returned to him at once. _This couldn't be happening_, he gulped regretfully and lapped the dripping blood from her wound for the last time, sealing it close, healing it. In replacement of her wound, twin marks appeared on her skin. They had shapes like diamonds in playing cards and were not bigger than a few millimeters in size. He groaned; so it _really_ was her whom The Punisher brought along when that creature forced the Curse upon him.

Closing his eyes, Eriol focused his mind to reach both of his guardians by telepathy and called out.

_Ruby! Spinel!_

It didn't take long for them to show up. Nakuru, who arrived first because she was the closest from him, looked thunderstruck at the sight before her. She understood immediately what happened at that place which caused Master Eriol to summon her and Spinel (the feline came to him using teleportation).

"I'll explain later," said Eriol. "Now hurry up and teleport us back to the Manor. Just forget about the car."

Nodded in understanding, Nakuru and Spinel closed their eyes—Eriol mumbled another chant to seal the area so that people would not walk in on them by accident—and a flash of blinding light came along with a pair of large, butterfly-like wings from their back, enveloping their whole body like a cocoon. When those wings spread open again, a large black panther could be seen on all fours beside a tall, feminine figure whose hair color was rather unusual: pink. Teleporting was one of plenty complicated magic that needed a lot of power and energy—something Eriol didn't possess at the mean time—, even Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun had to join power if they were going to teleport somebody other than themselves.

Eriol watched both of his loyal guardians move in opposite direction as each whispered a spell; a shining thread flowed out of their trace and in a swift move he felt their surroundings whirl quickly. It started up slow enough, yet in every second it grew faster and faster until his head spun. Another second and they disappeared from the garden with a _pop_.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	5. The Missing Piece

from **skybluescramble**:

long time no see, people.

it's been a few months since I last visited my account, and I hope I still have readers, hahaha…

as usual, thanks for the reviews: **Shanaa12**, **bitesizedallyx3**, **Tomo-chan**, **EuroCuttie**, **James** **Birdsong**, **deadflo**, **redeyes143**, and **sakuraakamichelle**. credit also goes to my proofreader, **Lemon Sherbet**. I love you pals.

hope you can enjoy the update.

and please leave me something to read ;)

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

FIVE hours had passed. Hiiragizawa Manor was filled by a thick silence, in spite of the fact that all of its residents were gathered in the library, with Hiiragizawa Eriol sitting on his Throne of Evil. Not so far from him, Akizuki Nakuru stood up beside a book rack, whereas the alternate form of Spinel Sun sat gracefully on the windowsill facing its master. It was almost dawn and Daidouji Tomoyo hadn't woken up yet. From the moment they successfully teleported home, she lay unconscious in one of the guest room like a sleeping beauty. She, presumably, was too shocked by being bitten by her old friend, yet on the other hand, there was a chance that this was an aftermath of feeding Eriol for the first time, considering he had taken a lot of her blood back then.

Face buried in his large palms, Eriol inwardly cursed at himself for being incapable of keeping his control several hours earlier. However, how did he suppose to survive the test when he was starving like mad and her blood was humming for him?

He was still human.

And sometimes, humans can't control their needs—whatever they were.

"You said it was nothing, Master." Nakuru broke the silence. "You told us that when we asked you what had gone wrong. You should have informed us of the truth. I-I didn't imagine this was going to happen… That she, of all people, would be the one whose blood going through your vessel."

Nakuru sounded exhausted and frustrated. Her tone was flat and tired, but to him, that simple comment made his heart flinched. He knew she was right and he was on the wrong side. Why didn't he let them know about his suspicions towards Daidouji Tomoyo? Why didn't he just honestly tell them everything? How stupid.

They were his only family, after all.

It was already too late. Only regret left behind.

* * *

><p><span>PIECE #4:<span>

**The Missing Piece**

* * *

><p>TOMOYO was alone in the dark. She looked up and down only to find that the ground she was standing on had no floor and no ceiling. It was like a wide, open space. She could hear and see nothing—except her own body, which seemed to glow in the solid darkness. Reaching out her hands, she felt her fingers catch nothing more than air, and, after thinking over it, she boldly strode forward and began counting her steps.<p>

One… two… three…

Fifteen… twenty… twenty-seven…

Sixty… sixty-one…

By the number ninety-nine, Tomoyo realized she would not collide with anything; this place had no end.

Was she dreaming?

Could she get out of this place?

Tomoyo put both hands in front of her mouth like a microphone and shouted, "Hello…? Anyone here?"

Silence greeted her. Her voice didn't reverberate, which means that this darkness was endless, just as she suspected. She heaved a sigh. If this was a dream, all she wanted was to wake up. Seeing black everywhere was not in her category of pleasant things. Suddenly Tomoyo longed to see colors. It was true that some of them made her head hurt, but compared to this… having a slight migraine didn't sound as bad as it did before.

She fell on both knees; almost decided to take a long break—right there, on her sitting spot, actually—when a rough, low voice jerked her up in alert, back to a standing position.

Then, she saw him.

The very same hooded figure she met in her dream. And it was the very same dream she always had too. He appeared quite far away and his huge cloak prohibited Tomoyo from catching a glimpse of his face. Not that she wanted to know, either. Guess he might have a very ugly face—presumably marred with scratches—underneath. She drowned deeper into her thoughts a bit deeper than she should have that the rapid movement of the hooded man approaching her went unnoticed. And like a strike of thunder he showed up the next second, right above her nose.

So close.

_Too_ close.

She could spot the frightening details on his face (it was partially covered with the hood of his big cloak). The bridge at his nose was scaly and rough, his black eyes didn't have pupils and the skin around them had wrinkles. His thin mouth was chapped in a terrible level; it was going to draw blood if he parted his lips. Tomoyo trembled. She was scared. Her whole body was shaking. Beads of cold sweat formed on her temples. Her knees turned into jelly when his slightly creased palm began to caress her face slowly with bony fingers and ended up grabbing her forehead painfully. The skin under his touch burned.

Then, something came. Attacking her. Torturing her. Her head hurt badly and she squirmed, whimpered, fought against him. She couldn't bear the pain. It felt as though her skull was being cracked open by an unknown force and there was nothing she could do about it. She was helpless. The feeling of being such a weakling frustrated her, yet the pain didn't seem to subside. She struggled harder, feeling blood flowing down the contour of her face as his nails slit through her skin. Another wave of pain hit her; this time more powerfully than the first.

Tomoyo screamed.

A long, heart-wrenching scream.

And abruptly, her eyes snapped open. Those amethyst orbs widened in shock when they saw scenery which she never had imagined.

Tomoyo noticed two things. The first was that the hooded man who had her under his grip until a few seconds earlier was gone. She was alone now, and her head no longer hurt. No blood either. Everything seemed pretty normal, had it not been for the second factor that she saw her dream. That odd dream which she saw in her sleep so many times until it was almost scary. Spread right before her like a wide-screen film. The dream about herself, that mysterious man who called himself The Punisher, and a boy with a face full with agony writhing on the ground.

In her dream, that boy's face was always blurry. She could never identify him no matter how often she dreamed about the same thing.

In contrast, here, all details were clear. As if it was presented to her in a high-definition quality. That was the reason why she gasped in shock; that boy's face was not unfamiliar. She knew that face by heart.

Hiiragizawa Eriol.

He looked as young as when they met in Tomoeda Elementary and became classmates. No, perhaps a little younger. Around ten, maybe? Because Eriol came to Tomoeda for the first time with Nakuru and Spinel right when she turned eleven (her birthday was on September), and at that time he had become more mature than the Eriol she was looking at right then.

"Daidouji Tomoyo," she heard The Punisher spoke as he dragged a powerless Eriol towards her (not actually her, but the Tomoyo who was in that dream). "I won't tell you why you are here now… because I _know_ you'll understand later."

She kept watching.

In the silence, she almost forgot to blink.

Her brain worked frantically, trying to figure out what was actually happening to her. How could she be here? Was this only an illusion? So many questions floated around her mind and she couldn't find a proper answer. However, right when she saw The Punisher draw blood from her by slicing her wrist using his fingernail, realization hit her. Hard.

The dream was, in fact, her memory.

It was real.

It had been sealed in the deepest space in her mind until then, even though she couldn't decipher the reason. She looked down, eyes examining the scar on her wrist. If one didn't look at it closely, it might be mistaken as some kind of mark (or tattoo, even if she doubted someone would think that). So that was how she got this ugly-looking scar. Yet still, that didn't explain why Eriol bit her.

Ah. _That_ was it.

Why did he bit her?

And why did she have a vague idea that he was sucking her blood?

Tomoyo was perfectly sure Eriol is a human. She could feel his racing heartbeats and body warmth back then, when she was pressed flat onto his hard torso. Despite of the fact that she believed in magic, she didn't believe in such myth like vampires. For her, those creatures were some kind of walking dead which probably existed only in made-up stories.

One hand went up to her neck instinctively as she drowned in thoughts. However, she leaped in surprise when her palm touched something wet there. She brought it down to see. Her breath hitched.

Pupils widened.

Jaw dropped.

Voice lost.

There was blood.

Staining her hand in crimson.

Fearfully, Tomoyo retraced her fingers to her neck, giving another light graze onto that area. She didn't need such confirmation, though, because for the next second she saw a long trail of red substance flowed down her body, ruining her clothes. She trembled again. Her eyes began to drift close. She gave herself up to the drowsiness overtaking her. She heard the fear and panic from the fragment of memory played in front of her, the screams, the curses and pleas.

And in Hiiragizawa Manor, Daidouji Tomoyo woke up with a start.

* * *

><p>THE unfamiliarity of a spacious bedroom with high ceiling greeted her. Tomoyo blinked once, twice, trying to make her blurry vision clear. Her head felt heavy, a lethargy she had never felt before. She was sweating and her body felt limp, waking up was like emerging from a thick fog. In her hazy state, she forced herself to breathe, and as her breathing became more even, she realized that she had no recollection of how many hours—or days—had passed. Looking around as she took an inventory of where she was, Tomoyo could tell that déjà vu was stealing over her, yet she could not place it. She did not move; she had no energy to do such a thing. This place was certainly not Daidouji Mansion. True, her house was also gigantic and had dozens of chamber, but growing up there for years was enough for her to remember the typical interior design each room had.<p>

Strange how her first notion was not to flee on finding that she was in someone else's bed and didn't feel threatened. Tomoyo stared at the pale light that filtered into the bedroom from the closed window while trying to gather her thoughts. The last time she could recall was when she lost consciousness after Eriol bit her neck.

At once her heart rate shot up.

She remembered then. How she ended up being here—with a rough guess on her whereabouts—and what had woken her.

Everything circled around a sorcerer named Hiiragizawa Eriol.

He was the center point, the one who had the answers for her questions.

He'd better be.

She didn't budge when the big, mahogany door was opened with a soft creaking sound, and a tall brunette stepped in. As their eyes met, Tomoyo knew she had guessed her location right. She had to be in a vacant chamber of Hiiragizawa Manor then, because Akizuki Nakuru walked into the room with worried look on her face.

"Are you alright, Tomoyo-san?"

_Okay, so this is something serious_. Tomoyo knew it well that Nakuru would never call her 'Tomoyo-san' if things were going fine. On every occasion she would just address her 'Tomoyo-chan' like what Sakura always did. The lush comforter shifted as Nakuru sat beside her and studied her condition. The Moon Guardian seemed to notice her sweating state and offered her a handkerchief.

Tomoyo opened her mouth to say thanks and answered the question, but she couldn't find her voice. Nakuru got the hint, in a quick motion she grabbed a glass of water and told Tomoyo, who then gulped all the content in one shot, to drink up.

"Feel better?"

"Thank you, Akizuki-san." Tomoyo said gratefully.

Nakuru smiled in return. She stood up again, fixed the comforter and arranged the pillows so that Tomoyo could sit comfortably with her back leaning against those big, soft pillows before telling her something which sent a cold shiver down her spine. "Master wants to talk to you."

The room felt strangely empty after Nakuru took leave. Tomoyo stared down; suddenly finding out that her sweating hands were interesting. Her fingers gripped the comforter, released it, gripped it again, and then released it, repeating the action over and over while waiting for the young man to show up. She had so many questions to interrogate him with. However, at the same time, she didn't think she would be able to spill them, to let her thoughts out. She couldn't find any proper words to do the job. How weird.

She didn't even have the courage to look at him when the door was pushed open for the second time.

"Daidouji-san," he called, purposely using the suffix to bring more formal atmosphere. Eriol sat down on an armchair on the other side of the room, careful to put some necessary space between them. Tomoyo felt his searching eyes, and after regaining her determination, let his intense orbs met hers. Just as she thought, they pierced into her very soul, made her feel naked under his stare. Nevertheless, she didn't break the connection. She kept quiet as he read her.

At last, he heaved a heavy sigh. "Don't you have any question?"

* * *

><p>THE woman sitting on his bed (not the bed he used to sleep on, but this was his manor anyway, so every single bed—and the other furniture—found here were counted as his) shifted nervously under his gaze as she kept silent. Actually, he was relieved to see her awake. She had been unconscious for more than fourteen hours and he hated it for not being able to do anything. He couldn't see what happened to her by magic; his power was still too weak and the task was also beyond Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon's ability.<p>

Eriol inhaled, the sweet smell coming from her tickled his nostrils. It didn't have much of an impact on him right then, because he was already content and sated. He cringed at the remembrance of him holding her close before sinking his fangs under her skin and suckling, desperately wanting to satisfy his thirst. All of a sudden he felt it again, the moment her exquisite curves were under his caress, and he had to swallow with difficulty. It wasn't the right time for such a recall. He sighed heavily, hoping it would help clearing up his jumbled mind.

"Don't you have any question?" he asked in a boring tone.

He caught her off-guard for awhile. She looked a bit frantic, struggling for words which weren't likely to come right away. He waited.

"I—" she started, "—I have loads of them. Swarming in my head, it's really confusing. Still… I don't know what… or which… I should ask first."

Oh. Eriol got it now.

"Then don't ask." He said simply. "Just say whatever you want to say."

Another silence followed. Yet, this time, it wasn't as long as the previous. Tomoyo had accepted his suggestion and took the initiative to start a conversation. Her voice sometimes wavered due to the uneasiness, but she was thankful Eriol pretended not to perceive it.

"I saw it." Tomoyo mumbled.

"Saw what?"

"The same dream I had told you about. About how I got the scar on my wrist." Her other hand began to rub the particular spot as she paused to let this information penetrate deep into his thoughts. "And it was not a dream. It never was. It's actually my memory. It happened for real! I don't know how and why I forgot, or what caused it to bug me relentlessly in my sleep, but FOR GOD'S SAKE IT WAS REAL AND YOU WERE THERE!"

She was hysterical. Eriol was sure she was aware of it perfectly without him pointing out. He also knew it had to feel good when she finally managed to shout at him as loud as she wanted.

"Tell me what it is about, Hiiragizawa." She demanded. "Tell me because I don't bloody understand! How could you be there? I saw you in your ten, or eleven, year old state and it happened to me when I was around twenty! And who is that hooded man? Why does he keep saying that he's The Punisher or something? What's your relationship with him?"

She bombarded him with questions (plus some random rambling, too) for the next three minutes while he stayed calm and controlled, waiting for her to finish. In contrast, Tomoyo felt as though her head was going to explode. Too much input. They stuck, for she didn't know how to analyze them to anything logical.

"Hiiragizawa, what happened to me…?"

They had a staring contest for quite awhile before Eriol broke off their eye contact. "I'm afraid I don't have the answers for your questions. I can make a rough guess, but I must say that it probably isn't the valid answer."

"Then tell me what happened to you."

_Smart girl_, Eriol commented mentally.

"It's too complicated. I don't even know where to start."

Tomoyo heard the cold tone in his voice. Out of the blue, she realized that this Hiiragizawa Eriol who was sitting a few meters before her was completely different with the bespectacled boy she had as a classmate years ago. He had become more intense, in both positive and negative terms. Still enigmatic and mysterious as ever, yet he wasn't the same person she used to know.

"Why did you… bite me?"

At first, Tomoyo was afraid she had asked the wrong question. Without her knowing, she had been holding her breath as she looked at him expectantly, wondering what kind of response he would give her. Those broad shoulders of his stiffened a little and she had predicted him to be angry, but that turned out to be wrong. Eriol simply looked coldly at her in the eye and spoke with hinted harshness which made her cringe. He sounded unpleased to tell her about his matter.

"I'll go straightforward." He started. "I'm cursed. Your blood is what I need to help me getting through it."

That wasn't enough.

That wasn't even close to enough.

Sensing her dissatisfaction, he continued. "Clow Reed broke the sacred rule as a sorcerer and I must take all the burden of his doing. That hooded man who calls himself 'The Punisher' is the one giving me the Curse."

She still had that deadpanned look. "I… don't understand."

"It's complicated."

"But, what made you bite me?"

This question, being asked more than once, was getting on his nerves. Eriol lost his composure. He was swept by his frustration, anger, and regret; his jaw tightened as his sapphire orbs darkened until they were almost black.

"Because I need your blood, woman! Didn't you listen when I said so earlier? You even saw it yourself in that dream! The fucking blood going through my throat when I received this Curse was yours! That ugly scar on your wrist is the proof. It's not like I have a choice!"

Tomoyo winced at his loud roaring. She fisted her palms, gripping the sheet tightly as she tried to keep herself from crying. It wasn't an easy task to do. She was confused, worried, and she could tell some tears were pooling in her eyes, threatening to fall. For the first time in her life, she was afraid of this man.

"You're not a vampire, aren't you?"

"Been reading too many sappy stories about mortal and non-mortal romances, eh?" He let out a sardonic chuckle. "Too bad, Daidouji. I'm still a human. Flesh-and-blood, with a beating heart and body heat."

"Then, what curse is it?" she asked carefully, hoping her voice sounded steady.

Although he was glaring at her, Eriol answered, "I've told you all that you need to know for this time around."

She knew he was lying. He knew that she knew he was lying. Nonetheless, they said nothing more.

Rising to his feet, Eriol fixed his slightly-wrinkled shirt before walking towards the door. Now that she had calmed down a little, Tomoyo found it was incredibly hard to rip off her eyes from his tall figure. She stared at his hands, those large palms that had been touching her last night, and her mind automatically replayed the part of the memory when their bodies molded together last night. She quickly shook her head to shake off the inappropriate thought. This was not the right time to think of him that way.

"You can stay here." He said from the doorframe, his back facing her. "Ruby Moon will bring your lunch soon."

She gasped audibly. "_Lunch?_"

"You've been unconscious for almost fifteen hours."

"Oh my god! I must go home."

Tomoyo jerked up, she practically jumped out of bed and began looking for her shoes. Her actions were stopped by Eriol, who caught her forearm and yanked her towards him, his strong grip prevented her from moving.

"No. You cannot go anywhere."

She blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Stay."

"Excuse me for being rude, Hiiragizawa, but you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do, especially when I just want to go home. My mother will be back from a business trip from Europe this afternoon, and she's over fifty years old already. I want to give her a special welcome home party."

With that, she wrenched her arm away from him and dashed out of the room, proceeding to the front gate, barefooted.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	6. The Deleted

from **skybluescramble**:

hi people :3

so, here is the continuation of **SCARLET**.

I'm sorry I had to delay writing **Damsel In Distress, Daidouji** due to my will to focus on this piece, because you see... they are two very different stories and it messes my head up if I insist on writing them at the same time.

hope you understand.

as usual, thanks to **Lemon Sherbet** for proofreading. also, to you who left reviews: **EuroCuttie** (thanks for your constant support! i really appreaciate it (: ), **Shanaa12**, **MARYXULA**, **bitesizedallyx3**, **whathappenedtotruelove**, **Guest**, **redeyes143**, and **chiharu-tanaka**.

please enjoy.

a little short, to be honest -_-

...and sorry for my bad English. it's not my first language and i'm still learning.

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

TOMOYO cursed under her breath as she sat down on the swing in King Penguin park, rubbing her aching ankles. She must looked pathetic right then, all dressed up for yesterday's wedding party but walking barefoot. She had been too furious to care about shoes when she left Hiiragizawa Manor awhile ago. The wind had become too cold to go outside without a coat, and she shivered a little. Perhaps fleeing away from his manor was a reckless thing to do.

_No, no, no!_ She swiftly pushed away that thought. She had a home. She could just go back to Daidouji Mansion and pretended that nothing ever happened. Having dinner with her mother and talking about random matters, like everything was as normal as always.

Yes, she could do that.

Definitely.

* * *

><p><span>PIECE #5:<span>

**The Deleted**

* * *

><p>DAIDOUJI Mansion was a bit too much for a residence—that was what she always thought since childhood. Standing magnificently in its all glory, it was hard for the passerby to walk in front of its gate without stopping to look at the mansion and marvel at its extravagance. Honestly speaking, the building was big enough to be a factory. It was something even Hiiragizawa Manor couldn't beat. Three minutes walk was needed to reach the front door from the gate. It was only natural if Tomoyo often got lost in the mansion before she turned ten and was able to learn the pattern of each corridor. Nevertheless, Tomoyo had never actually minded about this matter.<p>

Until today.

She was standing still in front of the mansion gate, staring up to the top end of the high fence and feeling not sure what to do. She shivered again, the chill wind was attacking her body mercilessly due to the autumnal weather. She had pressed the doorbell, getting her fingerprints checked and eye scanned—_twice!_—but the gate didn't open. She also tried the voice detector device only to fail. And there was not much that she could do now, because she had left her bag along with her coat and shoes in the Hiiragizawa Manor.

This was ridiculous.

She couldn't get into her own house.

Why on earth did she have to live in such an extraordinary place?

The sound of a horn from behind her back made Tomoyo leaped like a startled rabbit. She turned her head, and the sight of a shining black limousine greeted her. A man clothed in all black (one of the Daidouji guardians) got off of it and asked her politely, "Good afternoon, Miss. May I help you?"

Flabbergasted, she couldn't even think for an answer. She knew perfectly who owns that limousine. Her mother, that was it. Daidouji Sonomi's private jet must had landed a bit sooner than the actual plan. This was no good. What should she say to her mother if she asked her what she was doing in front of their mansion gate, wearing no shoes neither coat in this season?

Tomoyo was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice the limousine's back door opened.

A middle-aged woman, well-groomed and beautiful, stepped out of the car elegantly and looked at her under a wide hat. She smiled at her genuinely while saying, "Dear young lady, since you're in front of my house, is there anything that I can help?"

No matter how bad she missed Sonomi, this strangeness couldn't go unperceived by her. Did she hear her mother clear? Why did it sound like she was treated the same way as a stranger? Did something happen without her knowing? Little did she knew that this was no good and she didn't like it. But she was a graceful Daidouji. She wouldn't let her outer composure quiver.

"Mother…?"

There. She said it. She braced herself and gathered all courage to call out. Still, Daidouji Sonomi didn't take another step. She simply rooted on her place, studying over Tomoyo's feature with such curiousity and—did she see it right?—some hints of pity. The same face you would show after seeing a homeless, boney, dirty beggar asking for people's sympathy.

As if…

As if she didn't recognize Tomoyo as her daughter.

What the hell happened?

"Pardon me?"

Oh God, she knew that tone. Her mother only used it whenever she felt she couldn't believe someone, or when she thought her opponent was talking nonsense. It somehow sounded polite, but the actual thing was Sonomi had just embarrassed her in front of her bodyguards.

"I don't know what makes you said that, young lady," said Sonomi with a stern voice, "but I don't have any children and never involved in an affair, so whoever your mother is, and even if she looks so much like me, I'm not her. Now, please go."

"No—wait…! Mom! It's me, Tomoyo!"

She was desperate.

"You must be mistaken. I'm not even married."

Without further words, Sonomi slipped back into the car. That exquisite limousine immediately went out of sight as it entered the big front gate, which then automatically closed. Leaving Tomoyo outside, her face buried in both palms as she cried hard.

* * *

><p>NEVER did she feel more miserable than this. She was clueless about what was going on, but apparently something must be wrong. Why didn't Sonomi recognize her? She really hoped people would pop out from nowhere shouting "April's Fool!", but it was autumn already. Almost winter, actually. Such an absurd thing wouldn't happen.<p>

She wandered along the street, each step was frail and aimless and her bare feet were cold. When she was finally aware of her surroundings, she found herself back in the King Penguin park. She expected no one to be there, but some kids were found playing and laughing happily in the sand pond. Sitting quietly on a swing, she watched them closely, envy seeped into her heart. For the first time, she realized how lonesome she was. Tears started pooling in her eyes. Hurriedly she looked down, the last thing she wanted was being spotted crying by those happy children.

"I told you not to go." A voice behind her back said. "The manor is the only place left for you."

Tomoyo turned her head in an immediate movement.

Anger flashed in her amethyst orbs.

"YOU!" Her light skirt danced behind her when she rose up abruptly and pivoted on her heels to confront Eriol, who had been standing behind her since God knows. "It must be you! What did you do? Answer me, Hiiragizawa!"

He managed to keep his face expressionless. "You didn't let me explain."

"Oh, so it is my fault now?" She snickered. "If I recall things correctly, everything was perfectly fine until… until…" Her lines stopped there. She wasn't sure how she should continue.

Until what?

Their heated session last night?

Until he bit her neck and she lost consciousness?

Or—

"…Until you re-entered my life. My problem here is _you_, Hiiragizawa. You probably feel so lonely, being alone for years, having neither friends nor lovers, but it doesn't mean you could ruin my life as you please!"

She didn't care even if she was talking nonsense. Inside her head was too crowded she could barely think. The children in the sand pond were gone, they possibly got scared hearing her loud voice and decided not to play any longer.

Tomoyo knew she was rambling.

She knew she said mean things to him.

She knew it.

What she didn't know was that she had just hit a nerve. He took a step closer with stern face and grabbed both of her arms in a strong grip. Tomoyo cringed for a second because of the sudden pain, but held her chin high in stubbornness.

"You didn't let me explain." Eriol growled, his height towering dangerously above her.

"All you said was that you need my blood!" She said sharply, practically spitting on his face. "You didn't tell me what your damn Curse is and its fucking cause was, and why it had to be me whom you bit, and you keep saying I didn't let you explain? Who said that this matter is too complicated and hard to be talked about? Who said he cannot give a valid answer for my questions? You, Hiiragizawa! _You!_"

He had had enough.

"Come."

Forcefully, Eriol dragged her along towards a black Nissan parked not too far from the King Penguin, opened the passenger door and threw her in, completely ignoring her wince of pain due to his manhandling. In silence he sat beside her and drove the car, definitely violating traffic rules by speeding over 60km/hour in residential area, although Tomoyo didn't complain about it as she feared his already foul mood would only worsen. She clutched the door handle in a dead grip until her knuckles turned white and never stopped chanting mental prayers so that they could arrive at their destination safely.

He braked in front of Hiiragizawa Manor. "Get out."

Little did she know of what made him bring her back to his house.

* * *

><p>WHEN Tomoyo was in her school and campus days, going to the library to do homework or look over some data or just read interesting literatures was something she often did. It made her know how large an ideal library for each stage of education was. However, those things vanished like dust from her head after Eriol, with calculated motion, unlocked a wooden door and pushed it open, revealing the sight of a library to her. No less than two dozens of bookshelves were there, their tops almost touching the ceiling. The room alone almost had the same size as a hall, and in a corner she spotted several big pillows which looked comfortable. The floor was layered by a thick carpet. In the middle of the library was a big chair, surrounded by a sacred aura which made anyone give a second thought before deciding to sit on it.<p>

The Throne of Evil.

Eriol, on the other hand, casually got himself comfortable on said chair, legs crossed and one hand propped under his chin. His front bangs partially covered his eyes, making him look more enigmatic than ever.

"Sit." He commanded.

She looked around, but didn't see any other chair. "Where?"

"Then just stand there."

He was going to make her listen to him. This time for sure. He took an observing look from her head to toe, noting her bare feet, wrinkled dress, hair what seemed like she had just escaped a tornado, and how her shoulders shivered a little. She must be cold wandering out there in that attire. It was a relief he switched on the room heater when he entered the library.

"I'm going to make it fast," he announced. "Save your fucking questions for later or try to use your brain."

She scowled at him but made no protest.

"This Curse is a punishment," he started. "When Clow Reed split his soul into me and Kinomoto Fujitaka, he violated the most important rule in the world of magic. So I bear this Curse, for I am the only one who carry his memory and power—that was before Sakura finally succeeded in dividing the power."

Eriol sensed her curiosity and quickly added, "The Punisher chose you. You're a part of my Curse, which was activated when I reached the age of twenty. He made me need your blood, and without it, I can't use my magic. My body also got weaker each day. The reason why I didn't look for you right away is because like you did, I had only a blurry memory about what happened the moment I got the Curse. I couldn't remember the face of woman whose blood was being fed to me. Eventually, it turned out to be you."

"Why me?" Her voice wavered.

He cocked his head to the side a litte. "I don't know."

"W-why didn't you… t-talk about it at first place?" She stammered. "I could have known the reason earlier!"

"I lost control yesterday," he admitted, his flat tone never changed. "Two years of starving, is it not sufficient? And I could smell you… even now, you smell like a prey. Delicious… and helpless."

Tomoyo's guard was up in a flash. She took a step back despite of the calm-and-collected demeanor Eriol showed her.

"Besides, I'm afraid you wouldn't be kind enough to give me your blood once this fact was known. From the moment I bit you, the existence of 'Daidouji Tomoyo' was erased."

"W-what do you mean?"

"It means," Eriol stood upright before making his approach to her, "you'll only live to serve me blood. You don't have an identity in this world. Not anymore. Your family, your friends, your relatives, all of them will forget about you like you never exist. All of them but you and me."

Then, his teeth sank into her neck, piercing the same spot he had bitten her the last time.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	7. The Unseen Side

from **skybluescramble**:

hey pals :D

thank you for reviewing the previous chapter! i was soo happy reading from you: **chiharu-tanaka**, **bitesizedallyx3**, **Shanaa12**, **MARYXULA**, **whathappenedtotruelove**, **vedha**, **Guest**, **redeyes143**, **cheng**, and **EuroCuttie**.

credit as usual goes to **Lemon Sherbet** for proofreading.

hope you enjoy this chapter as well, even though it isn't much.

and please leave me some reviews as feedback.

love you~

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャップたーさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><span>REITERATION OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER<span>:

"_I could have known the reason earlier!"_

"_I'm afraid you won't be kind enough to give me your blood once this fact is known. From the moment I bit you, the existence of 'Daidouji Tomoyo' will be erased."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Your family, your friends, your relatives, all of them will forget about you like you never exist. All of them but you and me."_

_His teeth sank into her neck, piercing the same spot he had bitten her the last time._

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #6:

**The Unseen Side**

**.**

ERIOL was about to suck the blood seeping from the fresh wound he had made when he felt a sudden, hard shove land on his chest. Tomoyo pushed him away with all the power she could muster, not caring even if she kept bleeding. His eyes were bloodshot because of his desire to satisfy his particular need, and darkened when he was interrupted. Despite of that, his gaze softened as he saw tears falling down her cheeks. She was flustered with anger, confusion, embarrassment, and (he could see it in her glassy eyes) fear.

This caused him to wonder.

What did she fear?

Her life from now on?

Her terrible fate?

Or maybe… him?

Eriol stood rooted on to the ground, unable to move, and watched like an imbecile as Tomoyo burst out of the library, one palm pressed tightly to her neck. Considering there were so many chambers in Hiiragizawa Manor, he was sure she would find some time to be alone, somewhere. The thing that mattered was what she would do after calming down.

She'd likely try to have another talk with him.

And then she would have another tantrum.

Well, it didn't have to be like that, but after years of meddling with women (mostly they threw themselves on him—thanks for his good looks—, making it easier for him to try their blood) he could tell that it was something she would do.

Eriol swallowed hard. He was getting hungry, but biting Tomoyo the second time without considering her feeling would only make her resent him more. He almost did it anyway, and he knew that the sudden action must have scared her. This whole truth was unfair for both of them. However, somehow he felt relieved because—at the very least—he had discovered whose blood he could consume without any worries of vomiting later.

"Master?" Came Nakuru's voice. "I think I saw Tomoyo-san running in the second corridor… Was I hallucinating?"

Instead of answering, Eriol gave her a serious look. "Ruby, shouldn't you be at work? Because it seemed we may have to stay here for some while, I had called our acquaintances and told them we're going to make a branch for the company here in Japan. I also asked for their help. I think Tokyo is okay? A bit far from Tomoeda, though, but not _that_ far."

Akizuki Nakuru was the one who had the main responsibility of running HeartHome, a company established by Eriol two years ago which was in the housing and residential market. For most people, it was hard to believe that such a young man could make a steady business, but Hiiragizawa Eriol wasn't an ordinary person. Knowing he might not be able to work because of the curse would probably get in the way, Eriol commanded Nakuru to take his place as the manager of the company. He didn't have a lot of choice. He couldn't use his magic to make the fridge bring out foods and groceries by itself like he usually did, so it was that or he would starve. Although Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun didn't have to be fed, Eriol was only human. To survive, he had to eat.

"I left early," she replied.

"The business won't go smoothly if you do that continuously, you know." His hard expression softened. "Well, I guess you won't have to do this alone any longer. Maybe I can start taking part in the company."

"You haven't answered my question yet, Master."

Whenever she got serious, Akizuki Nakuru lost all of her bubbly personality and completely became another person. It didn't matter how many times Eriol had seen this phenomenon, he always amazed by the sudden change. Shifting his gaze so that it didn't meet hers, Eriol turned around slightly and spoke. "I picked her up from the King Penguin Park. I guess she had met someone who didn't recognize her anymore. She seems quite in shock."

Nakuru nodded sympathetically. "Poor girl."

"I hope you do not intend to make me feel guilty about this case." Eriol snapped grimly.

"But you already are."

Between gritted teeth, he said back to her. "Still, there is no need to rub it in my face. I do admit losing my control and biting that woman without her approval is my mistake, but there is no way I can back off now!"

Silence fell between them. Then, "Master, I'm sorry."

Eriol heaved a sigh. At the moment, he regretted putting a protection charm on his two guardians' memory when he created them. The reason he did it was to make them incapable of forgetting things they had known, in other words, they were practically immune to the effect of the Curse. At the first place, he thought by doing so would give him some advantages. For instance, if it turned out that the girl whose blood matched his need was a stranger, he would still have someone familiar to discuss over matters (like how should he treat her, etc.). Never once he thought that the 'destined girl' would be a person he knew, let alone Daidouji Tomoyo. Now, when he clearly miscalculated everything, he felt insecure.

And he didn't like it.

"You may leave, Ruby." Eriol said with flat tone he often used whenever he was going to be a little too emotional. Nakuru didn't protest; she knew better than to do such a thing. She was about to walk away when his voice halted her movements, clear and commanding.

"Bring dinner for Daidouji. She must be inside one of the chambers."

* * *

><p>MAGIC wasn't a new thing for Tomoyo. She was first introduced to it even before she had reach the age of ten (Sakura accidentally opened The Clow book in spring, yet her birthday was much later in early autumn). She had witnessed many strange, illogical things by staying close to Sakura's side and watched her reseal card after card. She also made some footage of those days.<p>

That was why she believed Eriol when he told her he was cursed.

When he said she was going to be forgotten by everyone in this world apart from themselves.

When he informed her that he needed her blood to survive from the curse. And only hers.

Tomoyo believed his words.

This was insane.

Her mind rejected all of it, but her heart somehow knew it was the truth. She didn't understand why this was occuring to her. She had no idea what made The Punisher chose her. She felt a swell of self-pity within her chest. The familiar "_Why me?_" question rang endlessly inside her head. She was bewildered. She was freaking scared.

What would happen to her life after this?

How should she keep on living?

Would Sakura forget her as well, despite her being so powerful in magic now?

Each new thought sent a shrill of new fear into her. Tomoyo, who had randomly broke into an empty chamber and threw herself onto the bed several minutes ago curled up on the mattress. She felt like a wreck. Helpless. Hopeless. Miserable. Alone. God, how she hated those negative feelings. Her chest felt heavy from the burden- she could hardly breathe.

She wondered if dozens of her photographs hanging on Daidouji Mansion wall out of the blue turned into empty frames. Would her mother ask one of the maids to throw them away? Would her belongings just disappear like a thin air? Or would they stay, only to be found by the maids who think of them as old, useless stuffs? Would her diaries, which she constantly wrote since the age of eleven, become blank pages?

Tomoyo couldn't take it anymore.

She cried.

She sobbed hard into a big pillow, pressed her face harder onto the fluffy surface as she poured out her frustration by screaming.

Hours passed by without her notice, and when Tomoyo finally stopped shaking and sat up to look at her surrounding it was dark already. The curtain hadn't been closed, presenting a dim light from the street, helping her to find the lamp switch. Her eyes slightly narrowed as she adjusted her sight with the brightness. Now, being fully aware of this room, Tomoyo spotted a large full-body mirror standing proudly in one corner. She walked over it after closing the curtain, hesitantly leaning down a bit to examine her reflection. Deep down, she had a vague idea of what she would probably see.

Oh, great.

Her face was a perfect mess. Reddened skin, wet nose, bloodshot eyes, damp cheeks, and not to mention her lower lip was chapped until it had almost bled. She took a step back to get an overall view of herself. One thing flew to her mind: _pathetic_.

Her dress was ruined. It was ripped in several places and dirt-stained. Her hair, which at first was styled up elegantly now looked like a huge, dark bird's nest, as though she had been swept aside by a tornado. Heaving a sigh, Tomoyo reached up to pull off some of the pins that were still stuck between tangles of her hair. Like it or not, there were things she still had to face.

For example… her grumbling stomach.

Tomoyo stilled behind the door. She put an ear to listen any sound outside, palm gripping the doorknob tightly. Quiet. Carefully she turned the knob clockwise and peeked out. There was a large tray of food placed in front of her room, with plates full of various dishes which were neatly covered by plastic wrap. Tomoyo carefully unwrapped one on the smallest plate and touched it using her fingertips.

Cold.

It was likely the tray had been there for hours or so.

Was it Nakuru who did this? Possibly so, because she didn't think Eriol would bother. However, was anyone supposed to forget about her? What happened? Did the conditions of the Curse have no effects on immortal creatures? Or did Hiiragizawa ask Nakuru to leave the tray in front of the room without allowing his Moon Guardian the rights to question?

Ah, whatever.

Thinking over those things brought her no good, anyway.

Tomoyo glanced at the clock. Thirty minutes past midnight. No wonder she was very hungry. She wanted to eat, but feasting over cold dishes would only make her condition more pathetic. Pushing the tray along the corridor, quietly she made way (her bare feet allowed her to not create stepping noises). Surely they had a microwave in a house this big. Although she hadn't known yet where the kitchen was, having a little detour around the manor didn't sound so bad. That Hiiragizawa brat must had gone to bed, which meant no one would be angry with her for wandering inside his house in this hour.

It was then when she heard it.

A long wail.

So clear and loud, successfully sending chills and goosebumps down her spine. Moreover, it felt so close, as if that heart-wrenching wail came from some place in the manor. Tomoyo swallowed hard. Both her knees weakened like jelly, forcing her to brace the corridor wall for support. Her widened eyes frantically looked around cautiously. What was that?

A robber barging into the house?

Or worse…

Monster?

Well, Hiiragizawa Eriol was a sorcerer after all. A rather twisted one, if she might add. Tomoyo wouldn't be surprised if someday it was revealed that he kept a monster in his house and treated it as a pet.

"Calm, Daidouji. Breathe." She squared her shoulders in determination. The food tray left abandoned, Tomoyo tiptoed towards the source of noise. She wanted to find out what it was. She had to, or she wouldn't be able to eat in peace. To hell if curiosity kills the cat.

She was about to turned left at the next fork, had it not been for her wandering eyes caught a strange thing at the right side. The light from one of the rooms was still on, and it broke through the thin gap under the door. Tomoyo stood beside the doorframe, unconsciously holding her breath. She turned at her side and very, very carefully pulled down the handle bar, causing the door to open with a soft _click_. Wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, Tomoyo proceeded further by pushing the door with her forefinger, wanting it to open a bit wider so that she could take a peek inside.

Some more inches…

One more inch…

Damn, she was getting nervous.

And when Tomoyo eventually saw what was in that room, she gasped in shock. Luckily her reflexes were fast enough to send both palms to cover her mouth, preventing any noises to slip out.

Hiiragizawa Eriol was kneeling on the floor, his whole body shaking violently. His bent torso was propped up by the left arm as the right one fisted in front of his chest, clutching the white shirt he wore so tight he almost ripped it apart. He was sweating, his dark lock matted and his bangs glued on his forehead. Tomoyo watched without blinking as Eriol let out another agonizing growl, breathing hard. He thrashed around as though the floor was burning, one hand moved up from his chest before gripping the base of his throat. From others' point of view, it looked exactly like he wanted to strangle himself to death.

"You see it."

Tomoyo jumped in surprise; her body automatically made a 180° turn and she almost leaped backwards when she came face to face with Akizuki Nakuru. She looked tired and Tomoyo couldn't help but wonder what possibly could be the reason, because it was the first time she saw the Moon Guardian in such a condition. Nakuru she knew was always energetic and cheery all the time, but the one confronting her now was like a completely different person.

"You see it."

Tomoyo gulped. She didn't know what to say. She just stood there, still holding the eye contact with Nakuru, mouth hung open but no words came out. Her brain was a mess. She couldn't think straight, and by the time she heard another heart-wrenching scream from the chamber behind her back, her mind became blank.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	8. The Wise Decision

from **skybluescramble**:

i really want to apologize for not updating (it's been weeks, i know -_-), but these past months had been hectic. i moved out and am now living alone, so yeah… the packing was crazy.

still, thanks for you who left review: **vedha**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **Shanaa12**, **EuroCuttie**, **MimoRei13**, **MARYXULA**, and **redeyes143**. also special credit to **Lemon Sherbet** who always patiently proofread my messed up chapters.

hope you enjoy the update .)

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #7:

**The Wise Decision **

.

TOMOYO had no idea how she ended up in a bedroom again, tucked comfortably under a thick, soft blanket and—the most questionable one—clad in the finest lacy silk dressing gown she had ever worn. The sunlight broke through the thin layer of white chiffon curtain, giving the room enough warmth. It somehow made her feel energized. Still confused, of course, but at least she calmed down. After everything that had happened to her, there was no way it could get worse, right?

The small noises of pebbles thrown against the glass surface got her attention. Tomoyo stood up and strode over the window. She pushed the curtain away and was nose to nose with the small figure of Spinel Sun floating outside, its four wings flapping fast behind its back like dragonfly's. Its front paws were raised in the mid-air as if it had just thrown the pebbles towards the window pane.

"Spinel-chan?" She opened the window to let it in. The morning breeze flew past them and her bare thighs were kissed by the chilly air causing Tomoyo to shiver slightly. She made a gesture for the black feline to fly in before relocking the window. "What's wrong?"

"Checking on you." It answered casually. "You fainted yesterday, Tomoyo-san. It was Ruby Moon who took care of you, though. She's downstairs now, in the kitchen preparing your breakfast. She'll be here soon enough."

A blush crept up her cheeks. "Thank you. I'm fine."

"That's a good thing."

Tomoyo nervously rubbed her feet together, having an internal battle with herself whether to ask Spinel about what she saw yesterday or not. She didn't feel like poking her nose into others' business, but if she recalled what had happened recently, she had a vague feeling that it was related to her. Somehow.

She decided to give it a shot.

"Honestly, I was wondering if he has an illness or something…"

Wrong sentence. Tomoyo silently cursed her stupidity. How on earth could she make such a mistake? Guess her insecurities got the best of her.

Oh yeah, she felt insecure.

Being told that she would be forgotten by anyone she knew—friends and family members—and having seen the proof affected her psychologically more than she had ever imagined it would. Tomoyo used to be alone and lonely, blame it to Sonomi who always traveled worldwide, meeting this and that, but it was nothing compared to her situation now.

It was much, much, worse.

"Are you talking about my master?" Spinel landed on the bedpost, a pair of big round eyes looking straight at Tomoyo.

She gave a small nod. "Yes."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"He mentioned something about needing my blood. It's because of the Curse, and that he never knew it's me he'll need to drink blood from..."

Spinel sighed. "What about the consequences?"

"Pardon?"

"If he cannot manage to drink your blood, did he tell what will happen?"

Tomoyo swallowed hard. She could predict this conversation was going to be hard, at least for her. "He said…" A pause. "He said he won't be able to use his magic, and his body will grow weaker each day." She took a deep breath, "Is that… is that true?"

The fact that Spinel didn't answer her question immediately only made Tomoyo feel worse, if possible.

"He understated everything," Spinel mumbled softly as it flew across the room to approach her. "Tomoyo-san, as much as I hate to let you know such information, I want you to understand what kind of fate awaits my master if you refuse submitting yourself as his blood donor."

_Blood donor? _

Oh, come on! She was expected to be his food container!

"You may think I'm pressing you, Tomoyo-san, but my loyalty to Master always comes first. He needs your blood more than anything, and no, it's no use trying to give him some from random people. What do you think he's been doing all along? Searching for the right person, even though it means he's had to wander around in the middle of the night so that he won't be seen, then seduce women to get a taste of their blood…"

Tomoyo blinked a few times. Her head began to spin.

_Seducing… women? _

_That Hiiragizawa?_

Oh, well. Actually he had some assets with his appearance. His handsome face, tall figure, those rich pools of dark orbs…

"Every time he fails, Master suffers more. Suppressing the hunger will only cause unbearable pain—you have seen how much it hurts him yesterday—, but taking the wrong blood is like consuming poison. His body naturally rejects the blood and he ends up vomiting the whole thing he just swallowed. If this continues, I'm afraid he will be not only incapable of doing magic forever, but also eventually lose his life."

Spinel floated in the mid-air, facing Tomoyo, not for once shifting its gaze from her clear amethyst orbs. "In my personal opinion as his guardian, Master had suffered enough. I've seen it since his twentieth birthday, Tomoyo-san. And now you're here, already bitten by him, yet I think you still have choices. As a matter of fact, your close presence will only torture him even worse if you're unwilling to help. You can just leave us and start over everything even if it won't be easy, or your kind heart will make you stay."

Each word stabbed right into her chest. Tomoyo couldn't think anymore. Jumbled feelings clogged her throat; it prevented her voice to come out.

"I know well that he'd changed pretty drastically since the last time you met him, but please believe that Master has his own reasons behind every action he takes," the black feline spoke again. "His life is at stake, Tomoyo-san, and you are his only savior. I hope you can decide wisely. Now I'll excuse myself. Enjoy your breakfast, it will come very soon."

Spinel gave Tomoyo a slight bow before lurching towards the exit. It was greeted by the sight of its guardian partner standing in the corridor holding a breakfast tray. They exchanged a look.

"Do not speak," grumbled Spinel as it tore off the eye contact.

Nakuru smiled in understanding. "Oh, I'll be quiet this time. Don't worry, Suppi-chan."

* * *

><p>THIS was cruel.<p>

_Definitely _cruel.

Tomoyo looked at a piece of toast in her hand with distaste and chomped on it, pouring her annoyance through the action. She was trying to eat, but it was like chewing on carpet. Utterly pissed, she folded the remaining of her toast and stuffed it all into her mouth, letting her overwhelming emotions win. For the first time in her life, she felt her brain would combust at any moment. There were so many things going in her head she nearly cried.

Oh, hell no. She already had.

The first drop of a tear fell onto one fisted hand on her lap. Followed by another drop. Then another. Before Tomoyo knew it, she was sobbing hard in frustration.

So many occurrences around her within short period of time and it confused her, broke her defenses. If one might add, in this case she no longer had someone to talk to. She owned nothing. No one would stand behind her and pat her back, whispering soothing, supporting words.

Tomoyo was lost.

It took three whole hours until her violent sobs receded into several sniffs. Reluctantly leaving the edge of bed where she had been sitting for long, Tomoyo walked over the huge wardrobe placed in a corner. She didn't want to spend the rest of the day in a bedchamber so she wanted to find herself something proper to wear. Strolling around Hiiragizawa Manor in a skimpy sleeping outfit was considerably not recommended.

Half an hour later, Tomoyo was making her way past the staircases to the kitchen. She noticed the Manor was very quiet, even she could hear her home slippers slapping against the floor as she walked.

"Akizuki-san?" she called out. "Hello?"

Although she received no answer, Tomoyo didn't back out. She kept exploring the building, accidentally entered several wrong rooms before succeeding on finding the kitchen.

It was marvelous. The kitchen counter was made from cold marble stone, smooth and expensive-looking. Next to it was a refrigerator stuffed full with foods—veggies, eggs, dairy products, fish, meats, etc.—and a large kitchen cupboard. Tomoyo carefully pulled both sides of the door open, revealing collections of cooking utensils just as complete as what they had in Daidouji Mansion.

"Oh my," she gasped in awe. "They are beautiful."

Every surface was clean and shiny like brand new. Tomoyo didn't know what kept them like that, magic or routine cleaning, but indeed, she was mesmerized by his kitchen. Without further ado, she grabbed a butcher knife and began selecting the ingredients she needed from the fridge.

She was frustrated.

And hungry again.

And cooking was the only way to calm her down from those tortures.

"I see you are beginning to feel at home…"

Tomoyo was halfway at chopping chicken fillets when all of a sudden she felt someone's presence beside her. Startled, she leaped a little, causing the sharp edge of butcher knife to graze her left hand. Tomoyo squeaked, both in surprise and pain, as she turned her head to the side and came face to face with Hiiragizawa Eriol.

The last person on earth she wished to meet right now.

His dark blue eyes, blazing dangerously, bore into hers and Tomoyo for a second couldn't feel the stinging pain at her injured hand.

"Hiiragizawa," she stuttered, "I-I have to find a bandage. Move… aside, please."

"No." Eriol spoke it firm and clear; his way of making a kind of law they had to obey. His heating stare burnt her even more—if possible—when Tomoyo realized where were his eyes actually were set onto.

Her injured hand.

Reaching out, he grabbed Tomoyo at her wrist and studied her cut. It wasn't too deep or too wide, only a small five centimeters graze near the tip of her forefinger, but it alone was enough to light up the sparks in his pupil even more. Eriol sniffed at her untreated wound. He took some moments to examine the flow of blood along her knuckles before giving her hand one long lick to ease the red stain away.

Tomoyo jerked up.

Initially, she wanted to protest loud and clear at his action. Nonetheless, when his lips closed around her injury one more time and began to slowly suck up blood, her knees wobbled.

"Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo gasped, breathing was, out of the blue, becoming something tricky.

Eriol refused to look up at her. "Hmm?"

"W-what… what are you doing?"

In a slight panic, Tomoyo braced her free hand on the flat surface of kitchen table to keep her standing. She couldn't feel her legs anymore. They were as though made from jelly.

"Giving you a first-aid care."

When he finally lapped her forefinger for the last time, the blood had stopped oozing from the slit. Eriol let go of her hand to open the nearest drawer and pulled out a plaster. He went back to Tomoyo, who still didn't dare to move an inch, gently wrapping the plaster on her injury. "I cannot heal a wound which isn't caused from my own biting. You have to let this heal naturally."

Through glazed eyes, she nodded.

"If you are going to cook something, make sure you won't hurt yourself. Else, I won't give you permission to it. This is my manor. I rule with my words." Eriol gave Tomoyo the last warning before stepping out of the kitchen with grace and elegance accessorized each step he took.

Tomoyo aways hated the moment when night approached. She was anxious. Nakuru came home around dusk (from working; that was her answer when Tomoyo carefully asked). She went straight into Eriol's bedroom afterwards and didn't come out for some while. Seeing this, Tomoyo decided to help Nakuru making dinner, because if she didn't, then they were going to have a very late one.

The voice of Eriol howling in pain that night still echoed clearly on her ears, haunting her. Tomoyo couldn't stand seeing him suffer, but she found it hard to simply submit herself to him. He needed her blood, she had understood that much. Yet, remembering the fact that Eriol had bitten her without her consent, which resulted in her being alone, forgotten by all the people she had known was making her angry. The mixture of sympathy, anger, and disappointment confused her.

But Tomoyo couldn't hate him no matter what.

Another reason why her feelings were so jumbled.

"This is the very least that I can do." She whispered, more to herself than anybody else.

Nakuru and Eriol appeared in the dining room right when Tomoyo was done placing the eating utensils. Nakuru immediately got excited seeing the chicken casserole, salad and mashed potato on the table and Eriol, though loud enough only for Tomoyo to hear, muttered a quick thanks as he walked pass her.

They ate in silence. Spinel was also present, although all it did was sipping down a mug of hot tea.

"Ruby," called Eriol, standing up to leave the table after finishing his meal, "Don't forget what I've told you."

Nakuru nodded. "Yes, Master."

Frankly speaking, Tomoyo hoped that Nakuru would spill anything out to her like she usually did. Nonetheless, she eventually learned that this time the Moon Guardian succeeded in keeping her lips sealed. Despite them cleaning up the dining table together and having some pleasant conversations about cooking tips, Nakuru didn't mention a single thing about what Eriol wanted her to do.

Guess he had made her promise to make it a secret.

_What kind of secret, actually?_

Tomoyo exhaled a long breath as she stared at her room's ceiling. She couldn't sleep. It was almost dawn, but her eyes stubbornly refused to slide close. There was something keeping her awake. A strange, uneasy feeling burdened her chest with unfamiliar weight.

She was worrying over Hiiragizawa Eriol.

Whether she admitted it or not, that was the truth.

A loud bang made Tomoyo jump in surprise. Her body went alert. Getting off of the bed, she walked across the room to put on a robe over her silk, sleeveless night dress and then soundlessly sneaked out of the chamber. She intended to check what caused the noise just now.

It undoubtedly had something to do with the cursed sorcerer.

"Hiiragizawa?"

This time, Tomoyo gathered her courage to knock. Getting no answer, she tilted her head and put her left ear on the wooden surface, trying to catch even the faintest noise from inside.

_Should I open the door?_ She wondered.

Putting her trembling hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath and barged in. What she saw emitted her gasp.

Eriol was out cold on the floor, his breathing was harsh and irregular. His long-sleeved shirt was damp with sweat. The banging noise she heard earlier must have come from the fallen desk near his unconscious body; books, photo frame, alarm clock, spectacles, and stationery which were at first on the desktop had fallen into disarray.

"Hiiragizawa!" Tomoyo called, crouching down beside Eriol and checked his pulse. It was still there. Faint, but there. "Hang on, okay? You hear me?"

She brushed his bangs away from his face, yet couldn't hold back the urge to flinch at his lack of body heat.

Suddenly Spinel's voice reverberated inside her head, stern and clear.

_As a matter of fact, your close presence will only torture him even worse if you're unwilling to help_…

**.**

**to be continued.**


	9. The Second Encounter

from **skybluescramble**:

okay. my bad, my bad.

I'm perfectly aware that you want to throw bricks at me so bad for not updating for a looooong time. but, hey, everyone has _that_ period of time when their real life gets too hectic to remember another life they have, no matter how fun it is.

I'm sorry, friends.

very. sorry. to keep you waiting.

but here's another update. I hope you can enjoy.

special credit goes to my proofreader **Lemon Sherbet** and you who reviewed: **Shanaa12**, **EuroCuttie**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **watermelon17**, **MARYXULA**, and **Lightmoon-angel**.

it makes me happy to read your responses; knowing I have someone who read my work.

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

THROUGH fogged bathroom mirror, Tomoyo studied the twin mark on her neck. They were a little too small to be called tattoos, yet a little too big to be mistaken as moles. Not to mention the diamond shape they had; there was no way moles could look like that.

She recalled what happened last night—a few hours ago, in fact. Being unable to stand watching him in so much pain, Tomoyo had impulsively dragged his unconscious body up and after getting a slight response from Eriol as she continuously called his name, prompted the sorcerer to drink her blood by baring her neck and allowing his head to fall limp on her shoulder. He didn't take much of it due to his weak state, but personally Tomoyo thought he had swallowed enough to breathe evenly. Also, his body heat slowly started rising.

"Is this…" Tomoyo mumbled, sweeping fingertips over her mark, "…really the right thing for me to do?"

She just couldn't let him die.

That was her only reason.

* * *

><p><span>PIECE #8:<span>

**The Second Encounter **

* * *

><p>HIIRAGIZAWA Eriol sat on his Throne of Evil, a pair of dark orbs scanned over the page of book he was reading. Both of his guardian's presence were close by. Nakuru leaned forward as she dusted the off dirt of the numerous shelves while Spinel seemed content watching birds flying here and there from the open casement. The flowing breezes, regardless how chilly, were tranquilizing. Eriol tore his eyes from his book to glance at the clock.<p>

She was eight minutes late.

"Ruby," Eriol began, "you did pass her the message right?"

Nakuru bowed formally. "Yes, Master. I had told Tomoyo-san as you wanted. I think she will be here very soon."

He snorted. "It is already past the stated time."

As Nakuru walked towards the entrance—she was going to pick Tomoyo up herself—, the library door swung open with a low creak.

"You're late." Eriol mentioned without looking up, his tone sounded displeased. As he snapped his book shut, he turned his head to Nakuru's direction and spoke with a rigid tone, "I'll leave her to you, Ruby."

"But, Master," Nakuru gave a sheer smile, "didn't you have something to say to Tomoyo-san beforehand?"

The incarnation of Clow Reed shook his head sternly. "No. Now leave."

"Very well. Then, please excuse us."

Tomoyo blinked in confusion as she was dragged out of the library. Her head reflexively shot upwards in searching for an answer that could probably be found from Nakuru's expression, but all she got was no more than her smiling visage.

"No question, Tomoyo-chan." Nakuru flashed her cheeky grin, going back to her casual way of calling the young Daidouji. "Just follow me. I'll give you a further explanation later."

They strode along the main corridor and climbed up the staircases, Nakuru was leading the way. They kept walking until Nakuru abruptly stopped in front of a room Tomoyo used to sleep in.

"Go in," she said, winking meaningfully.

When her eyes fell onto a flowery box lying innocently on her bedspread, Tomoyo felt her suspicion aroused. Picking up the box, she turned around and saw Nakuru smile in approval. She wanted her to open it. As her curiosity became stronger, Tomoyo carefully lifted the upper lid.

And the inside was revealed.

It was a dress. The most beautiful dress Tomoyo had ever seen, to be honest. In her old life as the only daughter of Daidouji Sonomi and the heiress of the toy company her parents had established, never once had she worn anything close to indecent or ugly. Her wardrobes were full with pretty dresses, blouses, skirts, and gowns ever since she was a kid. Tomoyo knew when she was looking at fancy clothes. And the emerald green one before her eyes was beyond every standard of beauty she had known. Tomoyo couldn't help but gasp with pure adoration as her fingers caressed the silky fabric, mesmerized by its softness.

"Akizuki-san…" she gulped, "what is this?"

"That's for you," answered Nakuru, seeming satisfied with herself. "That dress is yours."

Smiling wide, the tall brunette turned Tomoyo around so that she was facing the full-length mirror and put the dress in front of her, covering the baggy pajama pair she was wearing—borrowed from Nakuru. Rich emerald contrasted perfectly with her fair skin, causing the Moon Guardian to smile even brighter. "See? I know you'll be gorgeous wearing this. Come on, we've got things to work on."

"Eh?!"

Tomoyo squeaked in panic when Nakuru started unbuttoning her pajama top. Those long fingers worked fast, in seconds she had Tomoyo standing naked, arms crossed in desperate attempt to cover her exposed chest. "What now? And why did I have to take off my undergarments, too?"

"Because it doesn't go with your dress! Wear this, Tomoyo-chan." A pair of matching panties was tossed towards Tomoyo, who didn't have any choice but uncross her arms to catch them. Her eyes grew big with horror as she stretched the small ball of cloth in her hand. It was the first time she had seen such flimsy underwear. Tomoyo wasn't someone unfamiliar to thongs, yet this one was too much…

Improper.

Oh, yes.

That described it well.

"Akizuki-san," Tomoyo called, her voice wavering slightly at the image of her wearing those panties. "What's with this thong…?"

Nakuru gave her a wicked grin. "Just put it on. You'll understand the moment I slip the dress on you."

Her words proved to be true.

The silk lace material hugged Tomoyo's small figure like flowing water. It followed every dip and hollow of her body; the swell of her breasts, her waist, and then after the flare of her hips it fell smoothly to the ground. A wrong choice of undergarments would cause the panties to be visible, which ruined the elegant look the dress gives off. It was held onto her body by two thin straps, one of them decorated with flowers made from chiffon. It also had a deep neckline but was far from anything vulgar. Tomoyo examined her reflection on the mirror as Nakuru did her hair, her whole body enjoying how the dress treated her curves.

"Done."

Nakuru took a step back to look at her handiwork. Tomoyo's raven locks were twisted elegantly in a thick, French braid which was pushed aside to her left shoulder, emphasizing the flowery decoration on the other shoulder and the length of her slender neck. Several strands of hair were left unbraided, framing her face elegantly. The amount of make up was just right to make her natural beauty stand out. A pair of silver espadrilles shoes with three inches heels enveloped her feet.

"This is how the young Daidouji heiress is supposed to look, ne?" commented Nakuru gleefully. "Hurry up! We have someone waiting for you downstairs."

IT always been in her knowledge that Hiiragizawa Eriol was one of the most handsome men she'd ever met. But the moment her eyes fell onto his form, dressed all in black, sitting cross-legged on a sofa in the living room, Tomoyo almost forgot to breathe. He didn't wear his glasses, and that somehow highlighted how sharp his gaze was when Eriol turned his head as recognition of her presence.

"Thanks, Ruby Moon." He smiled to Nakuru, who nodded in reply.

"I'll leave Tomoyo-san to you, Master."

Stillness spread between them afterwards. Eriol took it as a chance to drink in her sight, giving Tomoyo a final head-to-toe check before his lips twitched upwards approvingly. He shot up off the sofa. "Let's go."

Tomoyo didn't budge.

"Daidouji? I'm waiting." His eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Don't tell me Ruby didn't inform you anything about this…"

He took her silence as a yes.

"We're going to a gala dinner tonight. I'll have you as my company. It's important for my business, if I may emphasize, so no matter how much you dislike being there I want you to watch your behavior." His authoritative tone of voice sent a thrill of alarm run through Tomoyo.

"Y-you cannot just boss me around!"

"Is that so?" Eriol drawled low in his throat. "But I see you're enjoying my present, aren't you? Don't deny, Daidouji. I know women."

Then the information clicked. It wasn't Nakuru who bought her the pretty dress, shoes, and even sexy thong she was wearing. Eriol did. For the goddamn sake of this dinner!

Tomoyo felt her rebellious side awaken. She bent one leg backwards, an arm reaching down to unbuckle the strap holding her shoes in place so that she could kick them off her feet. "Do you think I asked for this, Hiiragizawa? No! If you think I need all of this stuff, then you are gravely mistaken!"

But she found that the buckle refused to open. Tomoyo pulled and tugged, using all force she could muster; none of them worked. It was as though they were stuck on her feet like in the fairytale titled Red Shoes, by Hans Christian Andersen. Groaning in frustration, Tomoyo looked up and saw Eriol watching her struggle with perpetual glint in his sapphire eyes. She gritted her teeth.

"It's useless," said Eriol flatly. "I knew you would react somewhat like that, so I charmed the clothes you are wearing. It can't be taken off of you. The dress, the shoes, the necklace… even make ups and hairpins."

Flabbergasted, Tomoyo choked. "What?"

"You've heard me." His wide strides swallowed up the ground under his feet as he approached her steadily. Eriol stopped right beside her and turned around, offering an arm like a gentleman. "We're going to my business party. You'd better be a good girl and play along, Daidouji. Stay close to me if you don't want to be disturbed by some flashy, bonbon lads trying to flirt with you. Do not speak. I'll be your spokesperson."

Within seconds, Tomoyo understood her situation perfectly.

She was under Hiiragizawa Rule.

* * *

><p>ERIOL led her into his car, not forgetting to open the door for her while smiling. There was no single word exchanged along their way to the party location. He just drove in silence, eyes never leaving the road. On the other hand, Tomoyo was content by just looking outside the windshield. Sometimes she glanced at the side window as well.<p>

The gala dinner took place in a building that seemed like a thatch house. The garden was beautiful, and although the dim garden lights limited her view, Tomoyo was sure various flowers were planted there. If only she could explore the garden a little…

"Don't get carried away." A firm hand clasped behind the small of her back. As Eriol pushed her body gently to keep up with his steps, his musky, sandalwood scent filled her nostrils. "I've told you to stay near."

_Can he, by any means, read what's on my mind?_

"You gave no specific explanation."

She could tell he was smirking, amused. "Within arm's reach, Daidouji. Sorry for not making myself clear."

Tomoyo started to feel lightheaded. He was so close. Too close for her comfort. She could just easily faint on the spot, had it not been for her conscience screaming loudly where they were at inside her brain. And then, she remembered one important thing.

Her smell should have the exact same effect on him.

If she wasn't mistaken, the main cause of Eriol biting her for the very first time was his incapability of restraining his thirst, his desire of her blood, his need. Blame her alluring scent which meant his control couldn't be kept at bay.

"Hiiragizawa…"

Her voice came out a little more croaked than she thought, but he seemed not paying attention to it. Without looking down at her shorter figure, Eriol whispered back. "Hmm."

Tomoyo struggled to find out the words. "A-are you… okay? I mean, b-being close to me is troubling you, right…?"

He gave a low chuckle, causing every fiber in her being to jump out with alert, guard up. "Do not underestimate my control, Daidouji."

"You lost it before." She said stubbornly, only to be responded by the hand on her back slithering aside and snaking around her waist, pulling her to his body even more. She could felt his hot breath fan her crown, as the height difference was quite significant even when she was wearing high heels.

"It seems to me that you are more troubled by this closeness than I am."

Oh my. God should forbid him to have such a sinful voice.

Eriol pulled away slightly as a man dressed in a butler attire approached. Tomoyo sighed in relief. She had some time to compose herself. Expertly putting on a smiling mask like the single heiress of Daidouji Toy Company always did in a crowd, Tomoyo squared her shoulders. This was a challenge. She wouldn't give him a satisfaction seeing her lose. If Eriol wanted her to play along with his game, then he was going to see what she was capable of.

"Good evening," the man greeted. "Hiiragizawa-sama, isn't it?"

Nodding, Eriol smiled. "Yes. And I bring my partner as the replacement of Akizuki Nakuru-san. Is that alright?"

"Of course. This way, please."

After they were far enough from that man to overhear anything, Tomoyo couldn't help but blurt out. "Why, Hiiragizawa? Why didn't you ask Akizuki-san to accompany you instead of me? I heard you clearly that she is the one who's supposed to be here! Not me!"

"Lower your volume or people will assume we're having a couple's fight." His hold tightened once again she was sure it marked her skin underneath, "Ruby Moon has another thing to do, and obviously I cannot ask Spinel Sun for this matter. Now quiet."

Still grumbling mentally, Tomoyo obeyed. Arguing with him in this place was childish, after all.

The gala dinner was full with conglomerates, well-known politicians, and other important people. As she filled her plate with some food which was easy to eat and did not require her to dirty her hands, Tomoyo quietly listened to every conversation Eriol exchanged with other guests. By what she had heard, she found out that he owned a company and has Akizuki Nakuru run it for him. Yet, no hint about in what sector his company was.

"Hiiragizawa-san?"

That one call had Tomoyo stand paralyzed. There was no way she couldn't recognize that voice. Turning around in an almost abrupt motion, her amethyst orbs swept the wide hall and fell onto a tall, slender figure of sophisticated woman. Although some wrinkles around her eyes were visible due to inevitable aging, she was stunningly beautiful. Her hair was cut short in a simple, elegant fashion, making her look energetic.

Eriol bowed in respect. "Daidouji-san. Good evening. What a pretty dress for a fair lady."

"Smooth." Daidouji Sonomi commented, smiling.

"I'm just stating the truth, Daidouji-san."

"But," said Sonomi, glancing past his shoulders. She stared at the stunned Tomoyo while making a quick profiling. Winking teasingly, she continued. "I'd rather not have you wasting compliments on me when there is a gorgeous young lady with you, Hiiragizawa-san."

Tomoyo gulped. Her mother wasn't the type of person who would easily forget someone she met. That concluded one thing: Sonomi still remembered their encounter before. How embarrassing. Sonomi must think of her as a strange person. That theory was proven the moment Tomoyo caught a brief meaningful glint in her mother's eyes.

"Ah. I almost forget to introduce her." Even though her mood had become a little sulky with the fact that Eriol wasn't aware of her presence, Tomoyo obediently obeyed as he took her bare arm and pulled her to him. She stumbled upon her own feet, but his grip was keeping her balanced. Shifting to the side so that Tomoyo was directly face to face with Sonomi, Eriol continued. "Daidouji-san, this is Tomoyo. Tomoyo, this is Daidouji Sonomi-san, the invincible chairwomen of Daidouji Toy Company. You've heard about it, right?"

If that was only acting, then Sonomi would likely buy it.

"I'm really sorry for the inconvenience I caused last time." Tomoyo stated her apology, taking a step forward until she was right beside Eriol. She bowed deep in a manner she was always taught as the Daidouji heiress since childhood days, and when she straightened her back again, one could tell that Sonomi was impressed with the way Tomoyo acts.

"You've met before?"

It was hard to decipher whether the last question from Eriol was only part of his act or not. She hadn't said anything about the encounter with her mother, but again, this was Hiiragizawa Eriol. He didn't need Tomoyo to open her mouth just to know all the things he wants to know.

"We met a few days ago." Sonomi interjected. "It's alright, Tomoyo-san. It's alright. I won't pry further, either."

"Thank you, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo forced her sweetest smile to appear, ignoring her chest which throbbed with longing ache.

Sonomi smiled as she sipped from her wine glass. "Actually, I wish we can have lunch together, Tomoyo-san, or maybe some tea if you're busy at noon, but unfortunately my house is now quite messy. There are lots of empty photo albums and frames that need to be thrown away. I wonder why I can have them unfilled, though… the amount was ridiculous. Ah, sorry, I must have bored you with such a rambling."

_Empty albums and frames_, _huh?_ Tomoyo thought mournfully. So that was what happened with her photographs hanging on the walls of Daidouji Mansion. They were all back to their initial state: blank as new. Nonetheless, she masked her feelings as best as she could and spoke, "I don't mind at all, Daidouji-san. And I would like to come over, anytime you invite."

_Mother looks happy._

_That's enough_.

This… should be enough.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	10. The Predator and His Prey

from **skybluescramble**:

hello folks.

I. (FINALLY). DECIDED. TO. CHANGE. THE. RATING.

there, i announced it.

I did this half-heartedly, though, because the story seems to find its own path and out of the blue I'm starting to feel as if I'm one of the readers instead of the writer, haha. however… thanks to you who are always being patient and waiting for my slow update, not to mention leaving reviews, too!

credit goes to **Lemon Sherbet**, my proofreader.

also the reviewers: **Lightmoon-angel**, **MARYXULA**, **Shanaa12**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **EuroCuttie**, and **boredjm** (I cannot tell you now! you must keep reading to find out, hehehe).

I hope this chapter is decent enough…

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><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

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><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #9:

**The Predator and His Prey **

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NEVER could Tomoyo tell if Eriol's decision to let her meet Sonomi again and have a quick conversation together was considered as a kindness or a cruelty. He was standing by her side all the time, preventing Tomoyo from asking her mother anything personal, but honestly she didn't know what to talk about. The complicated situation successfully got her tongue. It shouldn't be a problem anyway, because Eriol had said beforehand that he would be the one who does the speaking. She might end up blurting out something he didn't want anybody to know, and the last thing Tomoyo wished for was dealing with his anger after they arrived home later. Tonight she would act like a good girl.

Nonetheless, Eriol did all that was necessary.

Only what was necessary.

Whenever Tomoyo began to shift uncomfortably feeling the disrespectful stares from some men in that hall, he always gave the public one or two simple gestures which said aloud that she was with him. Or more likely, that she was his. For instance: holding her hands, putting a hand on her shoulder, or snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. They were tolerable and he didn't take advantage of the situation. Although she was a little confused, Tomoyo began to feel less annoyed with the man.

It was true that Eriol had shattered her peaceful life into pieces.

But he wasn't an evil man.

Because he let her see her mother again, didn't he? Even though he didn't know if he did it intentionally or not, at least she could believe that Hiiragizawa Eriol was a man who always knew what he was doing.

"Daidouji, you okay?" That velvety, bass voice of him sent Tomoyo back to earth. Turning her head to where it came from, she saw him driving elegantly, eyes straight to the road over the windshield, but then they took a quick glance at her direction and their gaze met. Hint of concern was visible. "You are unusually quiet."

Tomoyo sighed. "I am _usually_ quiet, Hiiragizawa. The only thing that can make us have a long conversation is arguing, if I may remind you."

His chuckle was deep and rich. "That seems to be true."

Sensing his major focus was on the road, Tomoyo took liberties in watching him drive. His tie was loose and his long sleeves were rolled up to his elbow. She couldn't stop herself from admiring the way his large hands grip the steering wheel, and the memories of them touching her skin filled her mind. Warm, rough, slightly calloused, yet gentle at the same time. Mortified with her own thoughts, Tomoyo shook them out of her head and with great determination tore her eyes from the sight of him.

"Sleep." He spoke with that typical commanding tone. "Lean against the seat back and sleep. It'll still take some while for us to reach the manor."

Tomoyo wanted to stay awake, but standing for hours on heels this high was quite a work for her feet muscles. She fell asleep in less than two minutes.

* * *

><p>HIIRAGIZAWA Manor was silent when they got home. <em>Akizuki-san and Spinel are must be sleeping<em>, Tomoyo thought as she climbed up the stairs as soundless as possible, her heels producing a soft clicking noise every time they kissed the floor. She was walking along the corridor to her bedroom when the sound of her own footsteps started to give her an uneasiness. She squatted down immediately and began to undo the strap of her silver espadrilles, tugging and pulling the tiny buckle at her calf so many times in a futile attempt.

The shoes couldn't be taken off.

Tomoyo groaned in frustration. She had just remembered that Hiiragizawa Eriol had mentioned about charming her clothes.

_Jerk_, she fumed, swiftly changing her destination. She would make sure that insane reincarnation took a full responsibility for this. Her feet were tired, her toes were screaming in protest after being forced to hold her body weight for hours, her eyelids were heavy with sleep, and now she still had to walk away from her bed to his chamber.

He'd better lift off the spell immediately or else…

Well, he'd better just remove it from this outfit.

"Hiiragizawa?" Tomoyo knocked the door. The urge to just bang her fist against it was incredible, but she didn't have the intention to wake the whole manor. "You are still up, aren't you? It's me."

It cost her ten seconds of waiting before the door swung open. "What's wrong, Daidouji?"

Tomoyo froze on her spot. Hiiragizawa Eriol emerged topless, sculpted torso full on display, his hair damp and his pajama pants—the only piece of clothing he was wearing right now—hung loosely around his hips. It was obvious that he just finished taking a quick shower before bed.

"Ah… I-I can't change my clothes." Tomoyo answered after composing herself. She spotted the look of surprise that appeared on his face, but it was soon replaced with a small smile. He stepped aside in invitation.

"Get in. You don't want us to talk at the door like this."

"Hiiragizawa, you can just remove the spell and I'll be back to my—"

"Get. In."

Again, that authoritative tone. Cursing mentally, Tomoyo huffed in defeat and took a step over the threshold. Once she was in, she swept her eyes around the wide room, noting the marvelous luxury his massive bed offers, the dominance of dark brown in his personal furniture, the exotic smell of the room—musky, with a hint of sandalwood and juniper, definitely male and Eriol—and the tall man standing behind her back.

He had closed the door. The problem was she couldn't tell if he had also locked it or not. The feeling of getting permission to enter his most personal space in this manor got the best of her emotion.

Gods. Her palms were getting sweaty.

She was nervous.

"This is ridiculous, Hiiragizawa. How could you charm my clothes so that I cannot slip out of them?" Tomoyo began confronting him, for talking usually helped lessening her nervousness. A distraction. Exactly one thing she needed.

Eriol gave a lazy smile, dragging an expensive-looking chair to the front of his closet and then sliding its door to the left, revealing a full-length mirror hidden behind. He lightly patted the chair, giving her a sign to come. "I didn't charm your clothes in that way."

"Liar." Tomoyo retorted.

He pulled out a white silk handkerchief and splashed some water on its dry surface. "I am anything but a liar, Daidouji. A bit manipulative, though, in that case I must agree. Sit down here."

Eriol ordered her to sit on the chair he had just put in front of his closet's mirror. Half-heartedly, Tomoyo followed his instruction. It surprised her to no end when she found out that the chair was very soft, fluffy, and comfortable despite of its looks.

"My power has been weakened, Daidouji. As long as I cannot have a proper blood supply, there's no way it can be restored completely. That's also a part of my Curse."

Bending down, Eriol touched her left cheek with his handkerchief and created his way down her jaw. "Close your eyes," he whispered, "I'm going to remove your make up."

Tomoyo swallowed with difficulty. She was very aware of the heat emanating from his body. It felt like a magnet and she had to keep her own body from leaning towards his. Struggling to find her voice, she braved herself to speak, eyes still closed. "You changed the topic."

A small laughter rang into her ears. "Didn't you get it? My power isn't strong enough yet to put general spell like that. So far, I only manage to do some simple and specific magic. 'Making sure your clothes cannot be taken off' is quite difficult because it means I have to make it work against all forces that comes to strip the clothes off of you. Ah, you can open your eyes now."

Tomoyo blinked a few times, adjusting with the light. Having her make ups erased felt refreshing. "What are you trying to say, Hiiragizawa?"

A wider smirk appeared on his handsome visage. He noticed the wavering in her voice earlier, signaling that she was affected by his simple action just as much as he was by her sinful, delicious smell.

_This is interesting_.

Eriol put away his handkerchief and then suddenly got down on one knee. Grabbing Tomoyo's left foot, he put it on his thigh, causing her to let out a startled squeak. Her eyes dipped down to the floor, refused to meet his no matter what. He knew the reason, though, for he had encountered enough women in the last two years to study them.

"What I want to say," Eriol easily unbuckled the espadrilles strap around her calf and followed the action by freeing her foot with maddening slowness, "is that I didn't put a spell so that your clothes cannot be taken off, but for me to be the only one who can do the favor."

"Pardon me?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Daidouji." He stated in a final tone, not stopping from the task.

"Then what do you mean by… oh!"

He elicited a soft gasp from her the moment he was done with both shoes. His hands began slithering upwards; from her toes to her ankles, and then to her calves, moving up to her thighs, kneading her flesh softly, massaging her tense muscles, hitching up her dress skirt inch by inch as he slowly rose up.

Tomoyo went still.

Really still.

Suddenly, realization hit her like a tidal wave.

His warm touch burned her skin, but she couldn't deny the humming pleasure spread through her fibers from his massage. It felt good and they both knew it. Her frozen state relaxed gradually, only to go as still as a marble statue when his fingers reached her flimsy underwear and ripped it apart within two seconds. Tomoyo gasped, her heart rate shot up like a rocket. It was approaching winter, yet the room temperature seemed to grow hotter and hotter.

"H-Hiiragizawa…" She breathed.

_Oh, I'm burning… I'm burning_…

A dark, low chuckle was her answer. "Get up."

Eriol put her arms around his neck—she clung to him for dear life as he helped her stand up— kicked the hindering chair away and steadied her trembling form after unwrapping both arms that linked his body with hers. Tomoyo stumbled a little, still rejecting her own curiosity to find out what kind of emotions he had in those sapphire eyes. She imagined they were darkening, though, perhaps now only several shades lighter than black. His tall frame was hovering in front of her, and his long fingers were skillfully releasing pins which held her hair in place. Tomoyo came face to face with his sternum, unconsciously holding her breath. She could see very clearly those rippling muscles every time he shifted to remove another hairpin. It was embarrassing and a beautiful sight at the same moment.

Tomoyo knew she should put her eyes somewhere else, but she simply couldn't.

"I'm going to unbraid your hair."

She felt a great loss when Eriol moved behind her. However, that particular warmth was brought back in an instant as he took her single, thick French braid into his large hands. He combed that raven locks thoroughly till it was spilling freely all over her back like a waterfall, admiring its softness on his calloused palm.

"Don't look down," he spoke, almost pleading. A forefinger gently pulled her chin up until she was looking straight at her reflection on his mirror. "Watch."

The last command sent a powerful shiver along her body.

_Gods, why can't I resist him_…_?_

Their gaze met—not directly, though—and Tomoyo knew she was defeated.

His eyes. Nearly as dark as midnight sky and swirling with deep emotions she couldn't decode. She forgot how to blink, how to speak, how to move; it was a miracle that she was still standing upright, for her legs felt as though they were turning into jelly. All she could do was stare back at his reflection, and any thoughts were cleared from her mind.

When his hands, which were initially placed on her shoulders, slid aside and peeled off the dress straps underneath in the process, Tomoyo hyperventilated. Vaguely, she sensed her center twitch and her stomach plummeted in result.

"Keep your eyes open." Eriol breathed huskily, voice dropping an octave. "You'll do what I say if you have no wish to be in this dress forever."

She just nodded weakly as a feedback.

The dress was going lower. One inch followed by another. An abrupt hit of cool air attacking her nipples made Tomoyo realize that her breasts were now exposed, covered by only some strands of hair. Eriol ran his hands down her arms simultaneously, gently releasing her wrists from the lowered straps, letting the silky material pool around her waist before tugging it down again. He went painstakingly slow, making sure every single shift of cloth caressed her skin in the best way, creating a tingling sensation that tormented her.

_He is merciless_…

Tomoyo was now completely bare. Her reflection told her so. The beautiful dress she was wearing till a moment ago could be found in a green pile surrounding her feet. Self-consciousness came to her like a rushing wave. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to cover her most sacred area. It was a vain attempt, by the way, because in a swift motion Eriol had her wrist within his grasp.

"Don't." He growled, his disagreement clear. "Let me see."

A sharp intake of breath came out from her mouth. _Oh, this is unfair… absolutely unfair_…

"Daidouji."

She couldn't locate her voice to answer. Not when his free palm was roaming all over her body like this.

"There's one thing I forgot to tell you."

"W-what?" It took all of her effort just to mutter something simple and short. Her brains didn't seem to be working anymore, and the sight of them on the mirror surface didn't help gathering her coherent thoughts either. It was too much.

Too erotic.

_Is that really me doing that?_ _With Hiiragizawa?_

A loud gasp escaped her lips as something hot and wet made contact with the ridge of her ear. His tongue. It moved downwards in the next second, attacking her jaw line, her throat, lapping teasingly on her bite marks, nibbling her collarbone before nuzzling at the crook of her neck. He rested there, breathing hard.

"Thank you."

Her heart skipped a beat. Tomoyo almost didn't believe what she just heard if it wasn't for her own skin feeling his mouth move, mumbling those two words against her shoulder. What was he thanking her for? Her lips parted to ask him a question but instead a long sigh was let out as his still hand decided to continue its journey. She shuddered in his arms.

_No, no, no. Don't go there_…

_Please not there_…

"For giving me your blood last night." He drawled, landing butterfly kisses along the side of her face. "That was close, Daidouji, but you saved me. Otherwise, I would have been totally ruined. I've reached my limit; holding back the urge to feed from you is four times more difficult since the first bite… not to mention I have you living under my roof… can you imagine how torturing that is?"

He pulled her closer, pressing the hard planes of his chest onto her back. Not wasting any time, one knee quickly nudged her legs apart in order to allow his right hand to invade her inner thighs, feeling the untouched smoothness there. Tomoyo whimpered at the contact. Her fists clenched and unclenched weakly at her sides, all energy was drained up. She had experienced some romance before, including kissing and touching, but they were never like this. Not even close.

"You've received your chance, Daidouji." Eriol strengthened his hold as if he wanted to meld his body with hers. "You could have just run away and I wouldn't have followed. You could have left this house despite of your difficult position in society, pretending you don't know anything. You could have chosen to be selfish. You could have let me suffer and have a slow, painful death from starving. But you fed me last night. And if I may have the pleasure to remind you, that action was absolutely on your own will."

"Ah, ah."

_His fingers… oh, his fingers… that tickles_…

Smirking with unwavering pride, he dragged his hand upwards, still locking his heated gaze on her dazed one through their reflection. "Your time's up."

_Cheater_, she noted grimly. Speaking this much while his opponent was incapable of thinking straight, let alone arguing back.

What a gentleman.

"From now on, do not expect me to let you escape." Eriol pressed his nose on the top of her head, inhaling her scent. "Cause I won't, Daidouji. Remember that. You can't back off now. Not even in your dreams."

His hand crept up. Higher. And higher.

_This is bad. Shit, this is really bad_…

Tomoyo panted harshly. Frankly speaking, she had a vague idea what his intention was. But he wouldn't do that, would he? She was sure she would collapse right away if he did so. Even now she wouldn't be standing up, had it not been for the support of his arm and hard torso.

_Gods, is he seriously going to…?_

"D-don't—!"

Too late.

Hiiragizawa Eriol cursed loudly as his large palm arrived at its destination. It stole away his composure, the way his rough skin came to direct contact with her silky, incredibly sensitive and sopping wet pussy, cupping it fully, consequently drenching his palm. He experimentally gave a light squeeze and emitted a hoarse, satisfied chuckle when he got Tomoyo crying out, her whole body jolted violently.

"Guess what, Daidouji?" He murmured, "I think I'll have my dinner."

**.**

**to be continued.**


	11. The Girl Who Accepts Fate

from **skybluescramble**:

hi people : )

were you surprised with the sudden exchange of rating?

look—I'm trying to write as much as possible here, but at the end of the day I have to accept that my days are now really… suffocating me. *cries

so I hope you're satisfied with this.

the next chapter won't be up quick, I warn you.

credit goes to my proofreader **Lemon Sherbet** and the reviewers: **KyouyaxCloud**, **Lightmoon-angel**, **MARYXULA**, **thegirliknow**, **ulq4schiffer**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **EuroCuttie**, and **Zetsubouaichan**. I really wish you will leave more reviews ^^

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><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

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><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

SHE couldn't remember how or when she had ended up sprawled on his bed with his tall frame above her. He was at least outweighed her by twenty pounds, so it was a piece of cake for him to pin her in place. Not that she was able to escape, anyway. Her mind was foggy and her body felt overheated, she couldn't think about anything else but a sorcerer named Hiiragizawa Eriol, whose head was in the valley of her breasts, tasting, suckling, marring her chest area with small bites.

Eriol out of the blue tore his lips away to look at her. She was panting beneath him, face flushed, eyes heavy-lidded, gloriously vulnerable. Inhaling deeply as he tried to breathe in her scent as much as possible, his focus shifted down from her face to her navel, to the flare of her hips, to her glistening womanhood.

He paused there.

"You shaved." Eriol said, rather amused.

Tomoyo forced her eyes to open. In a strangled, almost inaudible volume she replied. "The hair… tickles. Uncomfortable."

Seconds passed; he seemed mesmerized by the sight. Licking his lips tentatively, his eyes glanced up to look into hers. The man gave a slight smirk then leaned down and nuzzled his nose into her mound. He somehow sensed her eyelids fluttered shut again when a finger dipped into her slick folds.

"Fuck, your smell is much better here."

He said it in English.

It was the first time Tomoyo heard him speaking mother tongue.

"Hiiragizawa." She pleaded bemusedly, feeling the motion of his finger moving towards her pulsing sex. Her mind was clouded so it took a lot of her energy to bring out her voice in a mere whisper. "What about dinner…?"

"I'm having my meal right now." That was the last thing she heard before she felt his tongue invade her core, his mouth devouring her as if she was succulent fruit. He sucked, licked, nibbled with insatiable demand until she was a mass of quivering nerves, ready to burst at any moment. Her chest fell and rose faster. The peak of her breasts hardened painfully and her body started to buck as he thrust his tongue into her hot center, building a steady rhythm that sent her on edge and kept her there.

Tomoyo was lost in a haze of sensations.

She gave up biting her lower lip and sobbed for mercy when the forceful swipes of his tongue latched onto that particularly tender bundle of nerves, attacked vigorously causing her back arched up so high. Soon enough, her hips began thrusting up toward him, as though offering herself. Eriol smirked in approval between his work. She was so sensitive, and each reaction he draws out of her lithe figure only made his hunger stronger.

"Oh, oh, oh."

Her body tightened, the pressure that had been building slowly within her was eventually breaking the dam.

_No more… can't hold it anymore_….

And she exploded.

A wave of pleasure laced with a caress of pain washed over her. Tomoyo heard herself cry out his name like a desperate prayer before falling limp on his mattress. Eriol was silent, lapping at her juices, pressing lazy kisses to the inside of her thighs and then crawling up. His next aim was obvious.

Tomoyo felt his hands brush away several strands of hair that stuck to her neck, revealing the twin bite marks.

"Nice appetizer," he said softly. "Time for the main course."

She saw a glimpse of his fangs becoming slightly longer—they were always like that when he was preparing himself to bite onto her flesh.

A stifled moan escaped her lips the moment his sharp canines pierced through her delicate skin.

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><p><span>PIECE #10:<span>

**The Girl Who Accepts Fate**

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><p>THE chirping noises of the birds awakened Eriol. Idly cracking open one eye, he noted by the angle of the sunbeam that it was a few hours later in the day than he usually woke up. He rolled over and examined the sleeping bundle of warmth next to him. Her dark, wavy tresses were disheveled, full with snarls, spreading all over his pillows. His eyes wandered elsewhere, observing her sweat-stained neck, and they stopped at the spot where he had bitten her. The small figure of hers was limp, boneless. She was drowning in the deep, tranquil slumber of a child.<p>

Looking helpless and worn out.

Eriol smiled, got off of his bed and fixed the comforter to keep her warm. Winter would come soon and he didn't want her to catch a cold. He gave this matter a second thought before adding some extra layers of blankets from his cupboard. His cocky grin appeared when he saw her sigh contently, snuggling further into the cave of warmth he just provided.

Next, he collected her discarded dress and threw them into the laundry basket in his bathroom. Her ruined thong, however, ended up in one of his small drawers for whatever reason. Straightening his back, he did some small stretching and advanced towards the shower cabin.

_Bath first_.

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><p>THE blurry sight of Hiiragizawa Eriol in his denim pants, opening the curtain to let more sunrays enter the room through the window was the first thing Tomoyo saw. She blinked a few times and the view was getting clearer. Her body was tired, but she must admit she had never woken up this relaxed before. Strange.<p>

Eriol, sensing her stir, glanced over his shoulders. "Breakfast?"

"Huh?" Still disoriented, Tomoyo battled the down and wool supplying her warmth. She threw off two or three layers as she scrambled for leverage to pry herself up with weak arms. Obviously she was still drained. Flopping back onto the fluffy pillows in a half-sitting position, she stretched leisurely, her bare arms and shoulders peeking out from the bedcovers.

_The bed is so comfy…. _

_Five more minutes_.

She was almost drifted to sleep again had it not been the loud bang came from the entrance. That sudden noise seemed to wake up her every sense, sending back last night's memory into her brain like a rushed movie; her skin came to full awareness of the softness of the downy blankets and bed sheets sandwiching her body, her amethyst eyes wide open as they stared at the unfamiliar ceiling as she realized it wasn't the room she used to sleep in and the fact that she wasn't alone in this chamber.

"Master!" Akizuki Nakuru's appearance at the doorway followed the earlier noise, four huge shopping bags in her hands. She was scowling. "These are really heavy!"

Tomoyo immediately buried her body into the heated cave under the mound of wool, fur and down. She burrowed deep until most of her head was hid, giving herself only a small liberty to peek. _Gods, this is embarrassing_. She was hoping Nakuru didn't notice her presence and just leave, but it was proven to be an empty hope after all. Smiling brightly, the Moon Guardian greeted her casually.

"Good morning, Tomoyo-chan!"

She gave a groggy nod in return. "Er, yes. Thank you."

Soon afterwards, Tomoyo scolded her stupidity for saying such a response. _Why thank you?_

"Thanks, Ruby." Eriol interjected, and even though she didn't want to admit, Tomoyo felt saved with him taking over the conversation. "You may leave for work now. I'll make sure I reach there right after lunch. Still need to sort out some things here."

Nakuru bowed slightly. "Then, excuse me."

The door gave a dull _thud_ sound as it shut.

Silence.

It was either none of them wanted to speak or the atmosphere was just too awkward. Tomoyo slowly pushed herself up from under the blankets, her muscles were less resistant although they were still tired. Once sat down, she heaved a heavy sigh; sitting up was, indeed, requiring too much effort.

"Are you okay?" Eriol asked. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and looking strikingly handsome. Tomoyo felt a pang of sickness at the pit of her stomach hearing his almost cold tone. Did he just use her last night?

But he had made it clear that her blood was what he needed… then why? Why did he do… other things… to her?

Came her soft reply, "I'm fine."

"It's up to you to think about my actions as using you or not." Eriol suddenly said as though he was reading her mind. Knowing him, it wasn't impossible if he was really capable of doing so, anyway. Even when his magic power had been weakened (and he definitely hadn't had enough of her blood to regain it completely), he was still an intelligent man who was an expert in the department of human psychology.

"I know." Tomoyo dropped her gaze. More or less, she understood what he intended to say. And it didn't make her anxiety lessen. She was still afraid of how the situation might develop.

Eriol walked towards the shopping bags Nakuru brought into his room. He picked them up effortlessly and put them next to the bed, making Tomoyo scooted away nervously, unnecessarily gathering the wool and fur to cover herself.

"Your clothes." He told her. His finger pointed at each bag as he spoke. "The biggest one is for your undergarments. The last three are for tops, bottoms, and one-pieces. Ruby Moon bought them yesterday. Choose one you want to wear and I'll put the rests in your room later."

Tomoyo blinked, feeling like an idiot when everything fell in place. "Akizuki-san did? That was why she couldn't come to the party with you? And you asked me instead?"

In truth, it was more like she was forced to go. But of course Tomoyo wouldn't let the word out.

Eriol shrugged. "That, and other reasons."

"Eh?"

"You should get dressed." He dodged the topic as he ended their talk with a firm tone and got out of the room, giving Tomoyo some privacy.

* * *

><p>THRONE of Evil was always been his favorite place when he was deep in thoughts. It felt relaxing to spend hours sitting there quietly, drowning in a world of his own. This time, he was weighing the Sun Key in one hand as his mind wandered. The recent occurrences were playing in his head repetitiously, as well as what The Punisher told him long time ago.<p>

_Has my power gotten stronger now?_ He pondered, examining the key closely.

As a matter of fact, he did realize that his body felt much healthier when he woke up this morning. Presumably it was because he had taken Tomoyo's blood a few times. It would be sensible if he also regained some of his lost power.

_There's no way but to find out_.

"I call upon the powers of the day and the night, sun and darkness unleash your might. Release!"

The Sun Key began to gleam. The light become brighter and brighter, nearly blinding as the small key became longer before his eyes. It kept growing, more and more length came into sight until it stood proudly as a two-meter staff which peak was a shape of a big, magnificent-looking sun. Tightening his grip on the staff, Eriol summoned every ounce of magical power he could sense within his body.

"The power that sleeps inside this vessel of flesh and blood," he chanted again. "Free yourself from the bind and reveal your form to me."

A string of light came out of his chest. Once fully outside, it swirled like a tiny twister and then slowed down, taking the shape of a ball no bigger than the ones used in tennis. He smiled. His condition was getting much better. When he put a spell on Tomoyo's green dress yesterday, he spent almost all of his energy just for a simple charm. And last month he had been in the worst state, he hadn't even been able to release the true form of his Sun Key.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway caught his attention. Ruby Moon was undoubtedly still at work, and Spinel Sun barely used its small feet; it always flew everywhere. Then the suspicion would only go towards one person.

Daidouji.

In one swift motion, he stood up—the Sun Staff reverted back to its key shape—and strode out of the library. The woman he was after was found at the front door, looking troubled. She was wearing a white one piece that went just before her knees. The cutting was loose and feminine yet graceful, very much like her. On top of it, she was wearing a beige winter cloak which ended several inches above the one-piece. Still barefooted, she stared blankly at the big shoe locker. In her hand was a small purse Nakuru always brought along whenever she was out for groceries.

"Where are you going?"

Eriol hid his amusement when Tomoyo leaped in surprise, turning one hundred and eighty degrees, total shock all over her innocent face. Those small hands were pressed against her chest to calm down her jolting heart. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing was spoken.

He swallowed up some more space separating them with wide steps. "Where are you going?"

She gulped. "Groceries?"

Eriol cocked an eyebrow. Tomoyo hurriedly added, "Ah… I've asked Akizuki-san if I can help her with the cooking and grocery shopping… and other chores, of course, and she said that it's okay… Akizuki-san also told me where she usually put the money, and…"

She fell silent instantly.

Dear Lord, she was rambling_. _

_This is insane_, Tomoyo mentally banged her head_. Where is my dignity as a Daidouji? Why am I acting like this?_

But the tall man before her seemed unaffected.

"Then? Why are you daydreaming there like a mannequin?"

She blushed a little. "I… don't have any shoes."

"Oh."

Now that she mentioned it, Eriol remembered that he didn't include footwear in Ruby Moon's to-buy list. The only pair of shoes he had got her was the charmed silver espadrilles, but they were too much for daily wear. Until today, she had never wanted to go out, and perhaps that was why he didn't realize this problem earlier. He couldn't help but feel bad. At any rate, miscalculating things was not something Hiiragizawa Eriol does.

"Hiiragizawa?"

Her voice brought him back into reality. "You can borrow one of Nakuru's for now. Move aside."

Eriol scanned over the contents of the shoe locker. He thought briefly before deciding on a pair of simple light brown high boots. As he kneeled down to try them on her feet, Tomoyo retreated.

"Daidouji," Eriol looked up with annoyance. "Don't test my patience."

"You didn't charm them again, do you?"

So that was the reason of her hesitation.

This time, Eriol actually chuckled. "No clever man uses a same trick twice. You don't need to worry. These are safe."

She still didn't move. "I… I can put them on by myself."

His jaw hardened again in a blink of an eye. Tomoyo groaned inwardly; it had been unbeknownst to her that Eriol could have such a quick change of mood. "I hate doing things half-way, Daidouji. Right now, you are having me, the reincarnation of Clow Reed, the most powerful wizard in his age, kneeling down like an obedient servant, ready to put my guardian's shoes on you, and if you dare not let me finish what I'm intending to do… who knows what kind of things you may have to deal with tonight?"

_Oh, no. Not that hoarse voice_…

"Your answer?"

She was still thinking. Honestly, he wasn't making this easy.

"Four. Three. Two—"

_What? A countdown?_

"Alright!" Tomoyo shouted, hands up in defeat. "Okay. Fine. Just… do it."

Eriol gave her his evilest sneer. "Good girl."

A wave of electrical shock caused Tomoyo to jump slightly the moment his hand touched her right ankle. She went off-balance and nearly fell backwards if it wasn't for his sharp reflex by grabbing her hips and steadying her posture. Grunted displeasingly, Eriol placed both of her palms on his shoulder, applying a squeeze to emphasize his command.

"Hold there."

It was the longest three minutes in her life. The torment from his hot breath fanning her legs got worse with his soft hair tickling her thighs. When he finally stood straight again, Tomoyo heaved a long sigh. She couldn't imagine how relieving it was, knowing the mischievous mage actually kept his words and didn't do anything other than helping her feet slip into Nakuru's boots.

"Let's go."

Dumbfounded, Tomoyo looked at his broad back, watching it become farther and farther as he walked away.

"W-wait!" She called out. "Hiiragizawa!"

Damn that guy was fast.

The front door snapped shut once Tomoyo was out. The same thing happened when she passed the main gate, still trying desperately to catch up with Eriol. It was quite illogical how he was oh-so-casually strolling whilst she was running and he still outdid her several steps ahead. Ridiculous.

"What are you doing?"

"Why are you always asking the obvious?" He twisted the question. "I'm going with you."

"I thought you have an appointment with Akizuki-san. Don't you?"

He raked a hand through his soft bangs. "Last-minute cancellation. She will know what to do even though I am not around."

"Is it really okay?"

"You are more worrisome than Ruby Moon. Stop pestering."

His sneer made her startled. She drifted her gaze down to the ground, mumbling apologetically. "I'm sorry."

They wordlessly walked side by side for awhile, yet it didn't take much time until Tomoyo got uncomfortable with the rigid atmosphere. Moreover, the looks she was receiving from those people they passed by began to rub her up the wrong way. It was as though every head was turning to their direction. It irritated her more when those stares were followed by whispers and giggles, and despite of being unable to clearly hear what they are talking about, Tomoyo someway felt that she must be the topic. Her and Eriol, exactly.

"Uhm, Hiiragizawa…"

"Yes, they are gossiping us, if it's what you want to know." He said in a low voice. "My hearing is sharper than any normal person, if that answers your next wondering. The same thing goes for the rest of my senses."

"But, why are they talking about us?"

"Unfamiliar faces attract attention." Eriol told her flatly. "Here in Tomoeda, my face is barely known and everything about you had been deleted from their memories. Their reaction is only natural."

Tomoyo was unconvinced. "Don't they know it's rude to stare like that? I guess there must be another cause."

Chuckling, Eriol grabbed her arm, pulling her small figure a little closer. "Well, well. I wanted of keeping this from you at first… however, if you wish to know, let me tell you a good thing. All of them are thinking what a good couple we are making."

He got her flabbergasted.

"Huh?"

But his iron grip was gone as quick as it seized her. "It's here."

They had arrived at the street market. Tomoyo pulled out her shopping list, scanned over it and looked at the numerous shops at both sides of the street. She decided for vegetables first.

"What are you going to make?" asked Eriol nonchalantly, content watching her selecting fresh tomatoes and bell peppers.

She smiled sweetly at the ripe tomato she was weighing in one palm. "Italian cuisine. It's the kind that I'm best at, after all. Yes, Madam?" Politely, she turned towards the shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman whose eyes were fixed on Tomoyo and Eriol, grinning widely. "Is there anything…?"

Been caught staring, the shopkeeper blushed slightly. "Ah, no. Nothing, really. Um, I'm just wondering… well, I've been living here since I was a kid and have never seen your face around… are you newcomers?"

Not knowing what to respond, Tomoyo nodded affirmatively.

"Oh, welcome in Tomoeda, then." The shopkeeper smiled. "This city is relatively small, yet so nice to live in. By the way, if I may ask…" she glanced at Eriol who was standing oh-so-handsomely behind Tomoyo, "are you two… newlyweds?"

A moment of silence.

"Excuse me?"

Completely puzzled, Tomoyo gaped like a fish. It was the feeling of a warm arm around her shoulders that snapped her from spacing out. Eriol had stepped forward, planning on taking over the conversations.

"Yes." His word was firm, and the way he tightened his hold told her that she wasn't allowed speak. "We've been staying for awhile in a manor five blocks away from here, but rarely walking around the neighborhood like this."

"Oh, that big, Western-styled manor?" The shopkeeper was rather amazed. She kept talking as her hands were busy packing all the vegetables Tomoyo had bought. "You must be pretty rich, then. How admirable! Being young, rich and handsome, and married to such a beautiful lady! Oh my, I'm turning green with envy."

"Thank you very much. It's nothing to praise, honestly."

A polite smile.

Tomoyo snorted inwardly. She was going to confront him about this stuff later.

"Your belongings, young lady." The shopkeeper handed her two medium-sized plastic bags. "It's nine hundreds and seventy-five yens in total."

Nodding, Eriol paid for the veggies, took the bags from Tomoyo and held her hand as he led her out of the shop. The shopkeeper followed them to the entrance and bowed. "Please come again next time."

"Don't you dare let go of my hand." He whispered so it was only her who could hear. They were now entering another shop, and various kinds of flours and pasta were on display. They still had several things to get before heading home.

Tomoyo looked up to meet his eyes, her gaze challenging. "But you dare to let them think I'm married to you. That's unfair."

"Really?"

"You're the worst."

"I'm protecting you, you know."

Tomoyo burst out a low, sarcastic chuckle. "Don't kid me, Hiiragizawa."

"Listen well, Daidouji, because I'll only tell you this once." Eriol dipped his head down until they were at the same eye level, his expression was dead serious. "What do you assume people will think of you, for living under the same roof with a man that you don't have any relation with? To them, you are a stranger. Never forget that."

She gulped. No way she would let his intimidating voice got her again. "Akizuki-san is also living with you."

"She's pretending to be my cousin."

"Then, why can't I be your cousin as well? Why did you have to say I was married to you?"

A dissatisfied glare.

Eriol shrugged nonchalantly. "That will be hard."

"Why?"

"Because—" the tip of his nose rubbed against her smooth cheek, "—there's a possibility that I can't hold the urge to do something like this despite of us in public. Sometimes I just can't handle your smell. It's torturous for me and you knew it already." He smiled in triumph when he felt her shiver. "Cousins don't do those kind of things."

Tomoyo tore herself away, scowling. "Will you please stop that? Someone might—"

Her sentence was left unfinished.

All because a certain figure standing several feet away from their location.

"Yuuki-kun…?"

**.**

**to be continued.**


	12. The Girl from Her Past

from **skybluescramble**:

hello !

uhm, long time no see.

I'm so glad receiving all your feedback, they're awesome!

This is the continuation for **SCARLET**, and please leave reviews because they make me happy. *sheepish grin*

proofreader credit: **koichii**.

reviewer credit: **boredjm**, **ulq4schiffer**, **Zetsubouaichan**, **EuroCuttie**, **vedha**, **minglejingle**, **sweet-sunflower**, **autumn's fairy thymes14**, and **cheng**.

fyi, if you're curious about Ishida Yuuki, I did mention him in the second chapter (this story begins at chapter zero).

happy reading!

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #11:

**The Girl from Her Past **

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AS her hands were busy washing the dirty dishes after dinner, Tomoyo couldn't help but let her mind wander. However, it kept returning to that particular period of time when she and Hiiragizawa Eriol went out together for groceries.

"I see you're thinking about that guy."

Out of the blue she felt a presence behind her.

Sighing, Tomoyo continued to rub the plate and did her best to ignore him, but it was useless. She didn't need to look at him to visualize his posture at the moment: leaning casually against the kitchen counter with the flat of his hands supporting his body weight, legs crossed at the ankles.

"What is he to you?"

Her reply was reluctant. "Do I have to answer that?"

"No." He said lightly. "Nevertheless, it must be remembered that I can always draw the answer out of you anytime, with any possible way I can think of. If I may give you some advice, Daidouji, don't make things hard for yourself."

Damn. He was right.

"Yuuki-kun," Tomoyo cleared her throat with uneasiness, "was my boyfriend."

Eriol didn't seem surprised. "Your lover?"

She turned off the faucet while attempting to make distracting noises as she moved to put the well-washed dishes on the drying rack. "Not quite like that. We—" she paused there, her voice dropping an octave in shyness, "kissed several times but it had never passed any boundaries. We were simply dating."

Why did she tell him such unnecessary detail? Mentally cursing her foolishness, she tried to shrug off the uncomfortable weight burdening her chest. Recently, talking about the past was never pleasant for her.

"Do you love him?"

Okay. This was beyond her tolerance.

As Tomoyo eventually turned around to face Eriol, she pointed a dripping fork she hadn't put in the drying rack towards the man offensively, looking furious. "Listen, Hiiragizawa. I don't get it why I have to explain myself to you. You aren't my father!" She crossed the space separating them, now standing within arms' reach in front of him, pride and stubbornness clear in her amethyst orbs. "I do not wish to continue this discussion."

To hell with Hiiragizawa Rule_._

"You can just give me the answer and I'll shut up."

Again, that bossy, commanding tone. Tomoyo gave him a sour face; dozens of swearing and dirty words she had indirectly learned from Li Syaoran due to their platonic friendship were floating around her head and she wondered if it would make her feel better by letting one or two out.

"Fuck you, Hiiragizawa."

"My pleasure."

Smile.

Smile.

And she began to wonder if the world actually revolves around him.

Tomoyo stepped back to put the fork in place, purposely avoiding his eyes as she spoke. "No. I don't love him. Not in the way he wanted me to, at least. But I felt loved. Everything he did to me… made me feel loved."

It wasn't the kind of answer he had expected.

He was prepared for anything sappy, but not this.

Love had turned into something he just couldn't understand a long, long time ago. When he thought he had finally come to understanding it, he and Kaho Mizuki—_who ever said that she adored and liked him_—went separate ways. He couldn't remember anymore who left who; it seemed as if both of them began walking away from each other since God knows when. And when Kaho announced that she had found a man she truly loves—so much that she didn't hesitate at the thought of leaving Eriol—he had come to a point of not caring about it.

_What is love?_

Eriol found it hard to decipher the meaning.

If someone accused him of not knowing the definition because he had never loved and had never been loved by other person, then they were gravely mistaken. His past life as the invincible Clow Reed might have had him alone without much love, but Hiiragizawa Eriol was different.

He loved his Guardians—Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun, even Cerberus and Yue, who had been created by his previous incarnation.

He loved the Kinomoto family and also his rebellious, short-tempered descendant named Li Syaoran.

He had loved Kaho… until she left him.

Eriol had experienced love. And he still didn't understand.

Letting his eyes fix on the figure of Daidouji Tomoyo wiping the washbasin with a piece of cloth, his thoughts journeyed freely. Was the feeling of being loved this woman felt the same as what he felt when he was with Kaho?

Or not?

_Ting tong_.

Someone was in the front gate.

_Ruby Moon_, he reached for the Moon Guardian using telepathy, _we've got a visitor. Go and open the door_.

Nakuru's voice sounded apologetic. _Sorry, Master. I'm taking a bath. Today at work was quite hectic_.

He couldn't possibly ask Spinel Sun. Usually a plushie doll-like feline creature didn't fly, neither move by its own; people would freak out seeing it. The only option left was to go greet the guest himself or to give the task to a certain woman in the kitchen whose back was facing him.

"Aren't you going to open the door?" Tomoyo asked when she noticed that he didn't react despite the fact that the doorbell rang loudly. Their fight seemed to have been forgotten in an instance. "You'd better go see who is coming. It's almost eight already, it must be cold out there. I'll make some coffee."

Eriol smiled genuinely. "That would be very nice."

* * *

><p>"SAKURA-SAN?"<p>

Blinking in disbelief, Eriol stared at the brunette standing before him; a wide, satisfied grin plastered across her face. "Surprise! Long time no see, Eriol-kun!" She gleamed, still as cheerful as the last time he saw her. The only difference was her plump figure—presumably because of her pregnancy.

"I thought… I heard that you are in Hong Kong."

Li Sakura nodded. "I was. But then I gave birth, and Chiharu-chan mailed me about meeting you at Rika-chan's wedding. That's why I hurriedly took a flight to Japan. We haven't met for years! I can't let this chance slip away."

"But I could have left for England already." Eriol looked rather amused.

Sakura shook her head. "When Syaoran-kun and I shopped for dinner today, the greengrocery lady told me about a handsome man living in a big manor who stopped by her shop for some veggies several hours earlier. I knew it must be you. That only means you're still here."

"When did you reach Tomoeda?" He asked curiously.

"This morning. Actually, I wanted to visit you as soon as possible, but Tsubame-chan was crying and it took some time to put her to sleep…"

"Tsubame-chan?"

A blush crept up to her cheeks. "Li Tsubame. Our daughter."

CRASH!

A shattering noise diverted their attention. Both Eriol and Sakura stood up and turned their head towards the source of noise, spotting Tomoyo hurriedly squatted down to wipe the spilled coffee with her own handkerchief. It was a futile attempt. The dark liquid from the pitcher was quickly wetting the small rectangle cloth.

Eriol rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Tomoyo muttered, tucking a strand of hair that went astray behind her ear as her other hand clumsily picking the small pieces of the broken cups and pitcher. Her whole body was tense. It was as though she wanted to flee from there as soon as possible.

"You'll get hurt. Just leave it, Nakuru will clean it up later."

"It's okay, I'll do this." She was still hiding her face behind the curtain mass of dark locks.

"Tomoyo."

A warning tone.

But dear Lord, how on earth he could make her name roll out of his tongue so beautifully?

A voice like that should be a crime.

She was too startled hearing him call her by name. Her finger grazed the sharp edge of the shards and she yelped in surprise. A blob of blood fell down from the small cut at her fingertip.

"Enough." Eriol grunted low, pulling Tomoyo up as he rose on his feet as well. From the strength of his grip at her shoulders, she immediately understood that he wouldn't approve it if she dared to object. "Come on. Sit."

He dragged her along towards the living room and sat right on her left. Tomoyo fisted her palms on the fabric of her skirt, still silent. From the corner of her eyes she could see another pair of home slippers in front of Eriol. Tomoyo took a breath with difficulties, her chest was tightening painfully.

"You don't look so well."

A sweet, full of concern voice rang through her ears. Slowly, Tomoyo raised her head and was face to face with Li Sakura, who was watching her with care reflected from those emerald orbs. She quickly dropped her gaze. Her heart clenched again.

_Sakura-chan_…

Her throat was dry.

Her tongue was tied.

She couldn't manage to form any word.

In fact, it was the sight of Sakura which caused her to stop abruptly, making everything that was on the tray she was holding fall onto the floor. She had never expected the Card Mistress to be their visitor.

Thankfully, Eriol spoke for her. "Perhaps she's tired."

A hand rubbed up and down her spine in a soothing manner. He was comforting her, and just as much as she hated it, Tomoyo was glad he did.

Sakura averted her eyes to the young mage. "By the way, Eriol-kun, I've never seen her before. Your girlfriend?"

"No." He smiled. "My wife. Hiiragizawa Tomoyo."

Perplexed, Sakura brought one hand to close her gaping mouth. "W-wife? Oh my god, she's beautiful…"

"I knew you'd say so."

"B-but, when did you…? How come? And what about…?"

Eriol knew she was going to ask about Mizuki Kaho.

That was why he cut her off.

"I think you'd better go now, Sakura-san." Rising up, Eriol grabbed his key from the counter nearby. It was hard for him to leave Tomoyo with Nakuru and Spinel alone, yet now he didn't have a choice. "It's not good for a woman to be out late. I'll drive you home."

"I'll be fine by myself."

He laughed. "Your husband will kill me."

Shaking her head, Sakura took the car key out of his hand and put it back on its original place. "I flew here. The Cards will guarantee me safety." She stole a glance at Tomoyo sitting figure, smiling warmly as she added in a mere whisper to Eriol. "She needs you. Stay with her."

That left him speechless.

"See you again, Tomoyo-san!"

Right after she heard the front door snapping shut, the pooling tears that she desperately kept from falling broke the dam.

Tomoyo wept as the memories of her childhood with Sakura hit her, one after another. Her figure was shaking with each silent sob, her long hair providing her a perfect cover so that the others couldn't see. It did hurt when she knew Sonomi didn't remember a thing about her, but this was worse.

A lot worse.

Despite of them being a family, her mother was hardly home. Sonomi was always busy with business trips, meetings, and whatever kept her schedules tight. Tomoyo was often—if not almost everyday—left in the Daidouji Mansion with only their maids and guardians. However, Sakura was different.

Her days were full with the memories of them spending time together.

There was nothing of Sakura she didn't know about just like her cousin knew every single thing about her.

They were very close… so close until Tomoyo had even mistaken her love for Sakura as a romantic feeling.

Best friends, they were.

And now it was only her who remembered all their good times.

Reality could never be more painful.

Tomoyo jolted when she felt strong arms wrap around her body like a steel band and pulled her against the hard plane of a chest, enveloping her with calming heat. Eriol tucked her head under his chin as he murmured in a soft voice, "Let it out, Tomoyo. Just cry. It won't make you weak."

So she did.

Her arms which were initially falling limp at her side crawled their way upwards, tugging at his shirt as her body shook harder. Her tears drenched his clothes, his embrace got tighter, their feet were getting numb because of the uncomfortable position yet neither of them was willing to move. Eriol breathed in her scent, his sharp hearing allowing him to listen to her heartbeat that matched his own.

"Why Sakura too?" He heard Tomoyo asked him between silent sobs. "Isn't she… isn't she also a sorcerer? W-why didn't she or Li-kun realize something?"

It was a difficult question.

"It's because the knowledge of such magic had been erased. They won't find it in any books or journals. The magic is ancient and so dangerous, and although Sakura's power can rivals Clow's, she can never beat his intelligence. Clow experimented with magic which is something Sakura doesn't do. She just inherits my magic and improves it, and that's all."

Eriol knew that perhaps the answer wasn't acceptable for her, but he didn't have anything else to offer. It was the truth.

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo."

He had forgotten about asking Nakuru to clean up the mess she had made.

* * *

><p>HIIRAGIZAWA Eriol was an unreadable man.<p>

Tomoyo was sure of it.

This morning, as she was watering the trees and flowers in the front garden while humming, her mind was recalling all things that happened the day before. Especially that part after Sakura went home—or _flew_ home, whatever.

She had known he was an enigma even before he revealed himself as the reincarnation of Clow Reed. She knew it, because he often had that ambiguous smile across his face which always made her ponder what he was actually thinking. He always watched Sakura from a distance as though the cheery brunette was dear to him. And if she might add, his eyes sometimes narrowed when Li Syaoran spoke to Sakura in a loud voice while in contrast, they would soften when he was taking care of the flowers decorating teacher's desk every morning.

She knew it all.

Because Daidouji Tomoyo was an expert in observation.

It was always hard to guess what Hiiragizawa Eriol thinks of. Let alone feels. However, she had not expected him to be _this_ unpredictable. Not only it was difficult to guess what he had in mind, but the quick change of his mood and all his doing also never failed to surprise her.

How confusing.

He was a prime example of the male species with grey personalities.

That was it. He was grey.

Whenever she was beginning to think of him as an egoistic man who would use anything for his advantage, he proved her wrong. When she was about to feel trapped in hell—blame his authoritativeness—he treated her nicely. When she was almost exploding with suppressed frustration, strangely there were always things he did which made all her anger evaporate.

And he had touched her.

In a way no single man had ever been permitted to do.

_Oh…_

Her face grew hot instantly. Gods, she had to stop reminiscing about that particular part of the memory. Right away.

"You have been watering the same tree for the whole ten minutes." A slightly amused voice snapped Tomoyo back into reality. As she blinked to give her wandering mind time to recover, she noticed that the soil under a particular tree was over-drenched and looked disgustingly muddy. The hose in her hand was immediately set to face another direction of the garden.

Anyhow, she could identify the owner of that voice earlier. Even without turning over. It was absolutely him.

No mistake.

"Were you spacing out?"

Still presenting her back to him, Tomoyo gave him a curt response. "A bit. I'm alright, Hiiragizawa."

"The last time you said the very same line, you broke some of my teacups and my finest pitcher."

If Eriol meant to say it to catch her attention, then he succeeded.

"Sorry." Tomoyo admitted, turning and confronting his eyes. "I may not be able to pay you back for them, though."

She saw him take two large steps towards her. He wasn't wearing his spectacles and his bed hair was still present, treating his good looks with a touch of cuteness she was unwilling to acknowledge. "How's your finger?"

"It should be healed by tomorrow."

"That's good to hear."

They were then enveloped by a (surprisingly) peaceful silence. He stood by her side, hands in his pants' pockets, and seemed content watching her within close distance. Frankly speaking, she was awfully aware of his fixed gaze upon her back. The strange thing was that between her nervousness from being the object of his observation she felt a touch of safety. Like as long as he was there, no harm could approach her.

Unless… he was the harm himself.

Which he was.

"Actually," Eriol cleared his throat, "I have something to give you."

Tomoyo, who had turned off the faucet and was half finished in rolling the long hose she had been using, raising her eyes to meet his. "Huh?"

"Give me your hands."

Puzzled, she put down the roll of hose she was holding and stuck both hands out. Her forehead wrinkled when he dropped a small, sparkling thing on her opened palms, yet it was quickly replaced by a gasp.

A platinum ring.

With a tiny four-leaf clover shaped diamond.

She was dumbstruck.

"We cannot pretend to be a married couple without proof. People will get suspicious. Wear it." He reached under the collar of his shirt and showed her a thin chain around his neck. Another ring with similar design was dangling at the end of the chain like a pendant. The only noticeable difference was unlike hers, his ring didn't have any diamonds attached.

"I don't have a choice, right?" Tomoyo gave him a glum smile as she slipped the small gift on her ring finger. It fitted perfectly.

Eriol smiled back. "Glad to know you understand."

They were standing right in front of each other, close enough to see every detail of the opponent's face.

"You have bags under your eyes." She pointed out; a hand moving by its own accord to touch the darkened area. They weren't there yesterday. She was sure of it. "And you are look like… crap. Is it… is it because you didn't drink from me yesterday?"

He laughed silently. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not that greedy."

"Then, why?"

No answer.

But Tomoyo was quite persistent. Taking a step back, she took the liberty to examine his appearance, and the conclusion automatically popped out of her head.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

Honestly, it sounded more like an accusation instead of a question.

And he thought maybe it was better to let her win. Once.

"I did an all-nighter making those rings." He explained. "My power is still limited to do things in this level, but it eventually worked out fine."

"You made these?" Tomoyo looked at her wedding band in disbelief. He could have bought them from any jewelers; there was no need to go all the troublesome way of creating them using magic.

_Then why?_

His next sentence responded to her curiosity. "Because I had to charm them."

"You WHAT?"

Slightly panicking, Tomoyo pulled the ring off of her finger.

It didn't move an inch.

Oh great. Perhaps from now on, she shouldn't just put on everything he gave her. She exasperatedly looked up to confront him, yet the tiredness she saw all over his pale feature made her swallow down whatever she had intended to say.

"I put a tracking spell on it." Eriol said flatly as though it was the most common thing on earth. "That way, I will always know where you are."

She gaped. "Are you saying you are going to stalk me? What… what about that thing they call privacy?"

She must have said something wrong because his rugged jaw hardened unpleasantly. Scowling, his hand reached out and grabbed her left forearm in a strong grip. He was practically squeezing her flesh hard, causing her to wince.

"Listen, Daidouji." He growled, his eyes flickering dangerously. "I know things you don't. We'll fight often. You'll be mad at me because of my action and words. It's also possible you'll grow fucking sick of me and flee from this manor. But no, woman, I can't let you go. I will never. I'll go and search and bring you back home, and that's why I have to give you some kind of trace."

"I am not your possession!"

"But you're the only one who can keep me alive!" Eriol roared. His hold strengthened; she knew it would leave finger marks afterwards. "As much as you could make me go insane and be the cause of my death, you can keep me sane. You can keep me strong. You can keep me breathing. You know I must take your blood for it. And even though I have to receive your hatred, Daidouji, watching over you is my way of being responsible for taking so much from you."

A speechless Tomoyo was trapped under the depth of his gaze. The swirling emotions in those darkened orbs were utterly fascinating.

So intense… so beautiful…

They were eyes any woman could fall in love with.

Nonetheless, beneath such a beauty she recognized another thing. Something he had been trying to hide all the time. Something he wished no one to know.

He was wounded.

Internally injured.

Eriol seemed to sense that she had seen through him a little past the barrier and broke their eye contact. He looked impassively down at her—back to his dispassionate daily facial-setting—, released her arm and then stepped away, but his strides were halted after three or four feet to speak over one shoulder. "By the way, Sakura will be visiting us again today. I hope you've overcome your sentimentality and get along well with her."

His back had disappeared into the house even before she could reply.

**.**

**to be continued**.


	13. The Kiss and the Tears

from **skybluescramble**:

hello again :D

I've written another chapter! yay!

thanks to **koichii** for proofreading, and of course you, who left review : **chiharu-tanaka**, **ulqschiffer**, **hai-edogawa**, **Zetsubouaichan**, **EuroCuttie**, **vedha**, and **cheng**.

I hope you can enjoy the update ^^

don't forget (please) to leave reviews because they make me happy.

very, _very_ happy.

* * *

><p><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

THREE days had passed since he gave her that magically-made wedding ring. They hadn't actually spoken to each other apart from the usual daily formalities of "Good morning" and "Good night". He also hadn't drunk from her again. To be honest, he was somewhat surprised with his ability to resist the urge. It wasn't easy to ignore the alluring scent coming out of her every time they were at the same place. The fight was harder because that tempting smell now lingered in the manor; a result of her living under his roof. It felt as though his restraint could snap at any moment.

Yet he managed it somehow.

He liked to consider himself growing stronger in his personal fight against the Curse.

Hiiragizawa Eriol looked out of the window from his Throne of Evil, wordlessly paying attention to a small bird sitting on a tree branch protruding towards the library's window. The temperature had been drastically dropping in recent days and he had to switch the electric heater on to compensate for the chill in the air.

"Stupid. Why don't you go to a warmer place?" He mumbled, more likely to himself than to the said lonesome bird outside; his eyelids were beginning to droop.

And he fell asleep.

* * *

><p><span>PIECE #11:<span>

**The Kiss and the Tears**

* * *

><p>TOMOYO walked in the supermarket, apparently not paying enough attention to where her feet lead her. She was deep in thought, recalling several past events which caused her to ponder. Although she hadn't really spoken to Eriol for the last few days, she couldn't deny that he had her intrigued. The wedding band thing was—as unacceptable as it was—another proof of how calculated he was. He predicted it all. He never neglected trivial matters. Eriol thought of everything. He had reasons she couldn't fully understand behind each action he took.<p>

Included in his one-sided decision of letting Sakura and herself become friends… again.

Perhaps this was similar with Sonomi's case.

Eriol should have known that seeing Sakura would hurt Tomoyo; she would be painfully aware of the fact that she was no longer Sakura's cousin and best mate, yet he kept silent when the Card Mistress came over to his Manor three days in a row just to chat with her, help her doing chores whilst Nakuru was at work, or share old stories. Sakura was genuinely happy when Tomoyo told her she knew about Eriol's past and his, Nakuru, and Spinel's secret as they cleaned the library. In no time, the brunette began talking non-stop about her 'wonderful childhood' as a Card Captor, mentioning Cerberus and Yue and pointing out the differences of their behavior.

True. All of them gave Tomoyo a pang of pain inside her chest.

However, it would be worse if Sakura wasn't there.

Loneliness.

Did he actually consider her feelings?

_That's impossible_, Tomoyo sighed as her eyes fell upon a small ring on her finger. _It must be another reason, whatever it is_.

Nevertheless, she wouldn't deny that her heart dwelled in happiness a little at the thought of the British man caring about her.

_Thud!_

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Tomoyo stopped daydreaming instantly when she hit a trolley, making it topple its content all over the floor. Hurriedly, she bent down to help pick up the fallen things and put them back into the trolley. Once that was done, Tomoyo bowed one more time. "I'm really sorry." She apologized earnestly, but when she raised her head a gasp escaped her lips.

Well, she had never expected to meet Ishida Yuuki in such a place.

Especially in the way that she had.

"Are you okay?" This time, it was Ishida who spoke. He mistook Tomoyo's surprised gasp as pained one and looked at her with worry. "Your hips hit the trolley quite hard. You might get a bruise."

"No, no, no. It's fine, really."

"Are you sure?"

Tomoyo nodded. "It's my fault, after all, spacing out like that."

"Well," Ishida smiled, "I think I'm also at fault, for putting my trolley in your way. What about a cup of coffee after this?"

"Eh?"

He raked his hair nervously. "It's just… a form of my apology. Am I too straightforward?"

Still perplexed, Tomoyo automatically shook her head. "No! It's… okay. I'm just a little surprised."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Great." Ishida said. "So, can we head to the cashier now?"

"Ah, I still need to buy several things…" Tomoyo sounded apologetic as her eyes skimmed down her shopping list, mentally cursing her stupidity for not getting done with the business quickly. Ishida Yuuki might not remember their history—both as college friends and couple—but perhaps they could start over the friendship, just like what had happened to her and Sakura.

He gave an understanding look. "Alright. I'll wait for you outside."

"That will be nice."

Ten minutes later, she emerged from the supermarket carrying two shopping bags with capital letters stating "I'm not a plastic bag" written on them. As her clear amethyst eyes swept around her surroundings, she bit her lower lip in anticipation, feeling anxious. She unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief when she caught a tall figure standing not too far from the exit door. It changed immediately to a warm smile the moment Ishida noticed her coming and walked closer.

"It's getting cloudy. We'd better go now."

It was true. The winter sky was getting more grayish with dark clouds. A silent threat for people underneath; that rain would probably come soon. Rain rarely happened in winter but once it occurred, the water was undoubtedly freezing cold.

"Let me help you with those." He stuck out a hand, referring to her bags. Tomoyo politely refused.

"I can handle them myself."

"My stuff is fewer than yours." Ishida showed her the small bag in his hand trying to prove his words. "I'm the man here, um—"

"Tomoyo." She gave her name without thinking. "Please call me Tomoyo."

"Then Tomoyo-san, it is."

They strolled together; he was leading the way and she knew they were going to a shopping street nearby. There were lots of good coffee shops and cafés along the street; she still remembered a particular one they often visited together back then, whether it was just for spending time to chat or to work on their college assignments. Tomoyo had a vague feeling that he would take her to that coffee shop today.

"Ishida Yuuki," the young man suddenly spoke right after turning left at the second junction. Not quite listening, Tomoyo only stared at his back confusedly. Sensing this somehow, Ishida stopped for awhile and turned around to look at her. "It's my name."

"Ishida-san."

"Honestly, I don't even mind if you call me Yuuki."

Her lips formed a small smile. She had to know her limit in this department. From his point of view, they just met less than an hour ago. Calling a man by his name at the first meeting was… too bold for Japanese. So she said nothing.

"We're here."

Ishida entered the shop and held the door open for her. They picked a small booth in a corner which was facing the window; a good choice if they suddenly ran out of topic. A cliché statement like commenting the weather or the scenery outside was proved to be a safe escape. Drizzle began to pour the instant they both sat down.

"What will you have?" He asked her when a waitress approached them with a note in hand, ready to scribble their order. Tomoyo smiled inwardly. She had had her favorite beverage here, but she pretended to look at the menu book briefly.

"Green tea latte, please. Make it warm."

"And a hot mocha for me." Ishida ended their order by returning the menu to the waitress.

Tomoyo drummed her fingers lightly on the table surface following the rhythm of the hard downpour as they waited. She closed her eyes, enjoying the mixed noises produced from people's chattering inside the shop and sound of rain outside. It seemed that she had forgotten about Ishida sitting across her. He didn't take it as a big deal, nonetheless, and was simply examining her relaxed feature.

Slow but sure, his gaze glided downwards.

Until the trail was discontinued at her hands.

"You're married." Ishida stated, short and clear.

Tomoyo swallowed. "Yes."

"I see…"

The waitress came back with the drinks and the awkward silence between them broke. Before the uncomfortable atmosphere was back, Tomoyo eventually decided to speak first, opening up for him. She sipped a generous amount of her green tea latte and raised her face to see him in the eye. "I'm a newcomer here, by the way."

"That explains why I haven't seen you before," said Ishida. He tried hard not to make it obvious across his face, but Tomoyo could tell he was happy that she had dragged them away from the marriage topic. For now, at least. "Where did you live?"

"England."

"So your husband is a foreigner?"

Tomoyo groaned mentally. _Why he has to make the topic drift back around marital matters?_

Giving her best to keep a calm demeanor, she shook her head as elegantly as possible. Raking her brain, she dug out anything she knew about Eriol. That was when she realized her knowledge was very minimal for someone disguising as his spouse. "Not… actually. My husband is a half—born in Japan, actually—but he lived in England for quite a long time before we… um, married."

Oh well.

'Poorly minimal knowledge' would describe it better.

"How long have you been married?" Ishida asked further. His eyes bore into hers, locking them up, she could do nothing but stare back at him. She was unprepared to answer such a question, so she simply blurted out the first number coming into her mind.

"Three months."

He chuckled. "Newlyweds, huh? Now I hope we had met faster. I like you, Tomoyo-san, too bad your husband had more luck to get to know you first."

Ishida Yuuki was always a straightforward person.

He was so blunt since the first day she knew him.

"You don't know me." Tomoyo spoke softly to hide her slightly trembling voice.

A spark flashed in his orbs as his head dipped down several centimeters to sip on his mocha. "Oh, but I can have a rough guess on what kind of person you are. And I'm kind of liking the idea."

"It could be completely wrong."

"Or completely true."

He got her tongue-tied with his last, clever reply. Refusing to rebut him, Tomoyo simply stirred her drink, her facial expression remaining calm. She finished half of her green tea latte and rose on two feet, stating with determination. "I'm going home. Thanks for the treat, Ishida-san."

A lightning struck outside, followed with a roar of thunder.

He hurriedly followed her. "Wait, wait, Tomoyo-san!"

The doorbell hanging above the main entrance chimed when they walked past it. Ishida succeeded to grab her wrist just in time before she ran into the downpour, halting her advance at the café awning. "You'll get drenched. Can't you wait until the rain stops?" He prompted. "I can drive you home and explain the situation to your husband."

She declined politely. "I need to go home. Now."

"Let me call you a cab, then."

Tomoyo swallowed with difficulty. His vise-like grip around her wrist was becoming uncomfortable, both physically and psychologically. "Ishida-san, let me go. Please." She was practically pleading.

"No."

"My husband is waiting."

Everything happened so fast: another deafening sound of thunder came, causing Tomoyo to jump in surprise—her free hand went up to cover her unprotected ear—but then she was being jerked forward and by the next second all she could identify was the feel of someone's lips pressing atop hers.

* * *

><p>RAIN. Eriol jolted awake at the violent sound of water clashing on the ground. Heaving a sigh, he ran both hands through his damp bangs, which had been plastered on his forehead, and brushed them backwards. His eyes were sweeping along the wall, searching for something. <em>Where the hell is the damn clock when he needs it the most?<em>

Oh, there it was.

Eriol frowned as soon as he read the clock. He spent quite a good few hours napping, in fact. Stretching his stiff body, he gracefully left the Throne of Evil and stepped out of his library, requesting for the feline guardian. "Spinel! Where are you? Spinel!"

"Here, Master." It shot downwards from the second floor through the staircase. "Is there anything you need?"

"I overslept. What did I miss?"

At first, Spinel seemed somewhat unwilling, as if it was reluctant, to tell Eriol whatever it had to say. Nonetheless, it heaved a soft sigh and then murmured. "Nothing, Master. It's just… Miss Tomoyo hasn't come back."

His relaxed state went rigid in an instant. With narrowed eyes, he asked again. "Where did she go?"

"Grocery shopping, or that is what she told me." Spinel landed on a short shelf and sat, looking up to have a proper view at its master's face. "I told her it's Ruby Moon who has the responsibility of doing that, but she didn't buy my words at all."

_Stubborn Daidouji_…

"Did she bring an umbrella?" Eriol asked, although neither umbrella nor rain coat would save anybody from a rain this hard. Spinel shook its head. The British wizard scoffed in displeasure. It was announced in weather forecast this morning that the rain would fall today. "Stupid woman."

"Master?" asked Spinel confusedly when Eriol marched towards the coat hanger and grabbed his keys. "Where are you going?"

He turned around right before opening the front door. "I'll bring her home. Make sure there will be something warm to drink or eat when I'm back."

It was a good thing he had given Tomoyo the tracking ring. Looking for someone using magic would be more difficult—and tiring, of course—if there was nothing like a 'signal' from the other party. But this way, he just need moderate amount of magic and concentration to find her location.

If only it wasn't this hard to concentrate.

God, help him. Eriol was so worried he couldn't focus. Resting his forehead against the steering wheel for a minute or two, he took a deep breath and began the attempt of tracking Tomoyo. He had to find her. Sometimes, that girl was oblivious to danger. She acted too friendly towards a stranger and put politeness above anything, which led to letting down her guard.

Now that she no longer had bodyguards protecting her, he had to fill the role.

Because he was the one who had changed her life.

His sapphire orbs snapped open as he sensed the signal of her ring. Although he couldn't tell the specific location, he got the main picture. Eriol started the engine, ready to drive under this hard rain. The visibility was probably as bad as when snow storms happen. However, now was too late to back out.

Like hell he would back out, anyway.

Eriol stopped his car at the parking area of the supermarket. He knew it. Tomoyo had to be around this area. He picked a large umbrella from the back seat and got out, ready to search.

She wasn't in the supermarket.

Eriol had looked in every row and corner and no sight of her. His worry doubled. After taking back his umbrella from the rack beside the entrance door, Eriol walked southward. There was a shopping street with lots of shops and cafeterias. It was possible that Tomoyo went there so that she wouldn't be caught up in the rain.

"How troublesome." Eriol grunted.

The shopping street was considerably empty. Most of the people were seen taking shelter under the shops' awning—some were complaining about the rain—or warming themselves in the cafeterias. Looking around, Eriol found it amusing that almost all of the cafes were now full with guests. Perhaps it was true, a saying that said '_bad things happening to you might mean good things for somebody else_'.

But then he saw a familiar silhouette.

On the opposite side of the street.

It was a young woman with small figure and long, dark tresses flowed down her back like a raven waterfall. She just came out from a coffee shop, looking disturbed and a bit flustered.

Eriol smiled to himself. "Found you, Daidouji."

Walking across the street, he intended on approaching Tomoyo, yet his steps were halted the moment a young man also popped out from the same door and grabbed her hand. That man was chasing her, Eriol realized. His brows furrowed in question when he eventually identified that man. Eriol had seen his face before.

_Ishida… Yuuki?_

_Why is he with her?_ Eriol wondered mentally. The noise of the downpour made it impossible to hear their conversation. He could do it with the help of magic, of course, but he did not plan spending his limited energy for eavesdropping. He was hungry and exhausted. If he used the remaining magical energy now, he might jump on Tomoyo and bite her right there carelessly.

Nonetheless, what occurred next was also not in his plan.

Eriol couldn't see the whole happening; it was so fast.

Like a flash.

The next thing he knew was her body being pulled towards Ishida Yuuki's and they were kissing.

Correction: Ishida Yuuki was kissing her.

Kissing Daidouji Tomoyo.

His housemate, his blood source.

_His_.

Eriol's eyes blazed with anger.

* * *

><p>SURPRISED squeals and giggly whispers elicited from those people taking shelter who accidentally saw them. Tomoyo, eyes wide open, struggled against Ishida's strong grip, but she just couldn't break free. She could feel his tongue seeking entrance, his hand marking her wrist, his chest brushing the tip of her breasts.<p>

She had to get away.

But how?

How did she suppose to release herself when all she could do was keeping her lips pressed together?

_Help!_

_HELP!_

And then out of the blue, just as Tomoyo almost gave in, a great power ripped them apart, breaking the kiss. Gasping for air, she tilted her head upwards to see who her savior was.

Her breath hitched.

_Gods, this is bad_.

"Couldn't you keep your hands off of my wife?" Hiiragizawa Eriol spoke, his tone low and dangerous. From her place, Tomoyo could see his eyes darkened with venom. He held her tight—no, he was crushing her body to his, as though he had no intention of letting her go. "Tomoyo, we're going home."

He was angry.

Definitely angry.

He dragged Tomoyo away from that area without waiting for Ishida's reply. Despite of her unwillingness to admit, she found out that it felt safe with Eriol's left arm around her waist.

"Hiiragizawa… I-I…" She began, but Eriol wordlessly shook his head. He didn't want to hear anything at the moment. Although her heart stung at his refusal, Tomoyo obeyed him and fell silent. No words were exchanged as they headed to his car parked at the supermarket's parking area. She got into the car (he opened the passenger door for her) and looked up to say thanks but her eyes noticed something.

He was pale.

So pale it was nearly scary.

"Are you okay…?" asked Tomoyo, fearing his response a little. Eriol sensed it, too, because even though his words were considerably unfriendly ("Just shut up, Daidouji, and let me drive us home."), he replied her with a soft muttering.

Right now, he was anything but okay.

They both knew it.

And suddenly Tomoyo couldn't take it any longer. Her frustration exploded. She burst out crying.

"You're thirsty, aren't you?" Her voice was somehow croaked as she felt a big lump in her throat. "It had been days since the last time you drank from me. That's why."

Eriol didn't answer. He stepped onto the gas pedal, not giving the woman beside him a glance because he would lose control if he did so. Anger—and somehow, _jealousy_—surprisingly took a lot of energy from him, making him even more tired, hungrier, thirstier. Every one of his senses went extra-sensitive. He could hear her breathing, her shaky whispers as she spoke between sobs ("Why are you holding back? I don't get it!"), her muffled cries. He sensed the slight movement of her shoulders even though he wasn't looking. He also smelled… her tantalizingly appealing scent.

Swallowing hard, Eriol clutched the steering wheel in an iron grip as he hit the brake, stopping the car in the front yard of his manor. The rain hadn't stopped. Tomoyo was still sobbing silently. Unsure about what he should do next, he leaned back to his seat and breathed deeply.

It was a mistake.

His lungs were instantly filled with her. Spreading inside, torturing him mercilessly. Eriol panicked. He had to get away.

Right now.

"Where are you going?" Tomoyo asked, catching his sleeve when she saw him open the door.

"Getting out of here. We have arrived home."

"You're avoiding my questions."

"What questions?" Eriol asked back, still not facing Tomoyo.

He heard her shift closer, angling her body a bit so that she sat diagonally on the passenger seat. "Why are you holding back? Why didn't you tell me you need to drink? Why did you not speak to me after giving me this ring? I feel non-existent, Hiiragizawa, do you know that?"

The pain in her voice sounded real.

Tomoyo realized she was about to lose track of what she was saying and began to ramble but she didn't care.

"The world has forgotten about me except for you and Spinel and Akizuki-san, and here I am, trapped in your magnificent manor without anyone to talk with! Count Sakura-chan out, she doesn't remember me and she has a family now. The problem is that you're hiding from my sight almost all the time, popping out just to order me around like… like I'm your slave or something—"

_Slave?_ Eriol bit his lip. _Does this woman listen to herself?_

"—and when I finally find a way to enjoy my time shopping veggies, I met my boyfriend who doesn't remember who I am. We told each other our names and although he knows I'm wearing a ring he kissed me! But I didn't return it, I didn't even move my lips! Because you know what, Hiiragizawa? I was thinking about you!"

Something inside him roared in glee.

Something he couldn't identify at the moment.

"I was thinking how inappropriate it is to be married to someone and yet I still kiss another man! I am screwed, Hiiragizawa. My head is a mess!" Tomoyo's voice went croaked from partially screaming. "But you don't care, do you? You're just sitting there, turning your back on me—AH!"

It happened like a bolt of lightning.

When everything had become too much for him—her smell, her tears, her words, her cries—Eriol growled loudly, turning around and grabbing her forearms, pulling her forward—

—so hard until he stumbled backwards to the open door—

—and they fell onto the ground, into the pouring rain—

—with her above him.

"DO YOU WANT IT THAT BAD?" Eriol roared on her face. "Do you want me to bite you that much? Do you?"

Tomoyo flinched but didn't say anything. Her heart was beating wildly due to the sudden fall. She had both palms flat against his chest, her raven hair spilled across the hard planes of his body. She shivered slightly, both from the rain's coldness and the way his hold was bruising her skin.

"ANSWER ME, DAIDOUJI!"

That did it. Tomoyo raised her head, looking hurt.

"YES!" She shouted back at him. "I don't want you to hold back! I don't want to be avoided as if I'm some kind of bacteria! I don't want to feel more alone than I already am, Hiiragizawa!"

Eriol rolled them over in a split-second, his eyes boring deep into hers. "Do you want to hear the reason? Why I've been avoiding you recently?"

She gave a small nod.

"When I'm thirsty and you're around… I won't be able to resist you." He whispered, relishing the warmth of her body under him despite of the freezing rain. "Just like that night. I may do something against your will. I may take your blood too much and endanger your life. I may take advantage of you… again."

"You won't." She stated firmly. "From now on, it's under my permission."

He was stunned. _What?_

Sensing his confusion, Tomoyo spoke again. "It's not like my old life will be coming back, Hiiragizawa. You can't survive without me, can you? Then at least, as a new person, I can be useful in one thing."

"Tomoyo…"

"You must be suffering." A sad smile plastered across her features. "Take it, Hiiragizawa. Take it as much as you need. In exchange for that… don't alienate me. Please. After all, the only person who knows that I'm Daidouji Tomoyo is you."

Eriol gulped. Unconsciously his head descended towards her neck, inch by inch. He could see it. Her bite marks, right on her pulse point.

Very tempting.

"Go on." She provoked, "It's alright."

One more inch…

…half an inch…

And as his fangs sank into her skin, Tomoyo heard Eriol let out a satisfied groan. Her head went a bit dizzy as blood was sucked out from her vessel. She put her weakening arms around his back, murmuring encouragement into his ears.

It was still raining.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	14. The Dream, The Offer, and The New Steps

from **skybluescramble** :

I'm sorry.

So, I was very shocked when I found out that the last time I updated this story is more than a month ago. For those who waited for updates, I'm terribly sorry. It's just… well, life happens.

But still, thank you for all the alerts, favorites, and especially reviews from **blinda-thebling**, **Forene**, **ulq4schiffer**, **kururin-chan**, **EuroCuttie** (glad to know you like the story), **Zetsubouaichan**, **sweet-sunflower**, **On. ci**, **vedha**, **Maria-Reynne**, **Shanaa12**, **MARYXULA**, and **MimoRei13**. I'd never be able to thank you enough.

Biggest hug for **koichii**, my proofreader, because without her help, maybe you'll bash me for my English, lol.

It's not much, but I hope you can enjoy this.

Please review.

* * *

><p><span><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #13:

**The Dream, The Offer, and The New Steps**

.

AKIZUKI Nakuru sighed, a digital thermometer in hands. "Of course you caught a cold, Tomoyo-chan. Master, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" She threw a glare to the young man standing behind her, clad in a pair of grey soft cotton pants and white t-shirt. "You brought an umbrella, didn't you? How on earth could you two appear in the doorstep drenched from head to toe?"

Eriol shrugged. "It's… quite a long story."

"You're lucky I'm home early today. Or else, Tomoyo-chan would be in much worse condition." Getting up to her feet, Nakuru walked out of the room carrying an empty gruel bowl and the rest of Tomoyo's medicine.

"Thanks, Ruby," said Eriol earnestly. "You know I'm not good at dealing with sick people."

"You just don't have the touch." Nakuru retorted from the other side of the door, followed by the sound of her walking away, leaving him alone with Tomoyo.

For a few seconds they were enveloped in silence.

Eriol stole a glance at Tomoyo, who was snuggling back under the warm blanket, seeking for comfort. Her face was pinkish due to her fever, but her eyes were shining brightly as though she didn't mind being ill at all.

"I'm sorry." Eriol slumped on a chair near her bed, looking guilty. Tomoyo looked up at him, and when she found only sincerity across his (half-heartedly admitted) good-looking feature a smile was formed.

"Hiiragizawa, it's just a small fever. You don't need to make a fuss."

"I didn't intend to make you sick."

"I know. But it's a good thing you're okay."

"I've never fallen ill so far in my life," Eriol confessed reluctantly. "I should've realized that you're prone to illness even more. You see, being under the downpour unshielded… with me taking your blood…"

Her smile wasn't faltering. "I'll get better after some nap. Don't worry."

"You're too kind for a human, Tomoyo." Eriol heaved a sigh, rubbing his face in frustration as he leaned forward slightly, elbows on each knee.

"No, Hiiragizawa." That voice flowed out of her mouth like velvet, smooth and welcoming yet a hint of helplessness could be sensed. "I just don't want to be more pathetic than this. I'm just as selfish as a person can be. By me accepting reality, it would be less pitiful for both of us. This also frees you anyway; you don't need to hesitate whether you'd better act nice or cold to me."

His heart sank. Eriol wanted to justify himself yet words failed him. It felt complicated—everything that occurred in his life. He was a complicated man, too. His pure instinct which demanded her blood to survive, his logic, and his heart as a human being… those three aspects clashed inside him almost all the time, giving him a massive headache when it happens.

So he said this instead, "Then sleep. I'll… just go."

"Wait."

His steps halted; he felt fingers grip the fabric of his pajama shirt from behind. He turned his head only to see Tomoyo looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, her breath raspy due to the fever she had. "What is it?" He asked, surprised at the gentleness in his own voice.

"Stay here?"

The almost-pleading request came like a question.

Eriol blinked once. Twice. He felt adrenaline and tension rushed over his whole body as he drank in her helpless look. A wave of possessiveness came afterwards, causing his eyes to darken a bit. Mentally, Eriol reached for the other side of him—who always craves for Tomoyo's blood whenever hunger struck—and relieved to find it calmed down, thanks for her letting him drink moments ago.

A little closeness wouldn't hurt.

Would it?

Eriol heaved a sigh. "Very well," he said, throwing off the edge of her blanket and joining her on the bed. He then fixed the blanket so that his torso was covered up. He took precaution by not touching her by all means, but his resolution crumbled down the second she murmured, "Can… can I hold you?"

"W-what?"

"You said you won't catch a cold, didn't you?" This sentence took a lot of her effort; she had speaking difficulties because her coughs often interrupted. "So, can I…"

She spoke too much.

Tomoyo could never finish what she wanted to say—Eriol had turned to his side and pulled her towards his body. He tucked her head under his chin and murmured softly. "Enough. No talk."

She complied.

And sleep overtook them.

* * *

><p>SUDDEN coldness awakened her. Tomoyo jolted awake only to find herself in a—peculiarly familiar—total darkness. She rose to her feet and looked around, realizing that it was just a dream. But it was no usual dream. She knew it was somehow The Punisher's doing. That hooded creature, whether it was a she or a he, wanted to talk to her.<p>

Bracing her bravery, Tomoyo called out.

"Show yourself up!" Her voice turned out to be shakier than she intended. However, she balled both fists at her sides for encouragement. "I know you are here. Show up!"

And then she waited.

It felt like forever, but eventually she had a glimpse of a grayish silhouette far across her place. The Punisher. It gradually became closer and closer until they were standing only three feet apart. Tomoyo gulped nervously. She couldn't move a muscle as though she was under a full body-bind spell.

And a voice boomed inside her head. A cold, lifeless voice with cruelty hinted within it.

'_He can't be saved_,' it said. '_Don't waste your time trying to save him._'

_What?_ Tomoyo was dumbstruck. Gathering up every bit of bravery inside her, she shot back—even with trembling fists at both sides of her body.

"Why? Why do you have to punish him this bad?" Tomoyo literally screamed; the emotions were too strong it couldn't be helped that they got the best of her. "There must be another way for him to repent his wrongdoings! This is… this is just too much! You ruined everything! His life, his body, and even my life!"

The Punisher kept silent; he simply stood there motionlessly, watching her from behind big, dark, torn hood. Tomoyo was getting impatient.

"Hey! Say something!"

'I'd told you, woman, nothing can save him. Everything that happens to a person is equal with what he or she had done before. There's nothing like 'too much' in Karma.' The tone grew even colder—if possible—and Tomoyo bit her lower lips until it almost bled. She was infuriated.

'But… I have something to offer."

Tomoyo held the urge to yell at him again. The Punisher just said something she'd never expected. _An offer?_

"For me?" She asked doubtfully.

'Yes.' His voice boomed inside her head as he spoke, "I will allow you to quit this lonesome life you despise in exchange of one thing.'

Her eyes widened. "What do I have to do?"

'Make Hiiragizawa Eriol realize the importance of '_soul_'… make him learn the value of '_life_'. If you can accomplish that, then I'll set you free.'

'…and what about Hiiragizawa?"

'It's none of your business, Daidouji Tomoyo. And you'll be awake in fifteen seconds from now. Take it or leave it."

Tomoyo gulped. Really, she couldn't decide. It was true that she still felt slightly angry at Eriol for dragging her into all this mess. However, if she recalled what they had been through together, she wasn't the only one suffering. Eriol had it worse. Even before they met again, he was already tortured by the pain, his hunger, and his nightmares. It was as though he battled with his inner self every so often.

"Five seconds left."

"I…" Tomoyo close her eyes shut, "I don't know…! Don't force me to say it… I don't know!"

A dark chuckle reverberated around them. Tomoyo instinctively wrapped both arms around herself in a defensive gesture. The Punisher paid no care to her trembling body. With a swish of his cloak sleeve, he disappeared into the thin air, leaving behind only his cold voice. "Then I take it as a 'yes'. Good luck, Daidouji Tomoyo."

"WAIT! WAIT!"

But as her amethyst eyes burst open, the first thing coming into her sight was a somewhat-familiar ceiling. It took her a good two minutes to even her ragged breaths and calm down her hammering heartbeat. She wasn't aware she was sweating a lot until she rubbed her face with both palms.

"It's a dream." She whispered, trying to soothe herself. "It's okay. Don't freak out. Just go back to sleep."

"…Nightmares?"

Tomoyo almost forgot that she wasn't alone on this bed. Turning her head to the side, she came face to face with Eriol, who was looking concerned. Tomoyo knew that it was no use to tell lies, so she nodded.

Eriol had one arm propped under his body as he got up and reach a glass of water on the small desk nearby. He gave it to Tomoyo, who drank half of its content in one big gulp. His ears caught a soft '_thank you_' when she flopped back onto the pillows, her face contorted in discomfort.

"Are you alright?"

"Hiiragizawa," Tomoyo murmured in a volume that only he could hear. "Tell me stories."

"What…? Why?"

"My head hurts. I want to sleep but if I close my eyes I'm afraid the bad dream will back."

Eriol sighed. _This is meddlesome_, he grumbled mentally. However, both of them had finally reached the civil term and decided to go through his Curse together. Giving her a little bedtime tale was only a small piece of payback.

"Have you known a story titled _The Inspector General_?" He asked.

Tomoyo shook her head. "Whose is it?"

"Nikolai Gogol."

"Russian author?"

"Yes." Eriol began to smooth some hair out of Tomoyo's sweaty face, noting how her tense expression slowly relaxed. "It's an ironically funny story."

"The only Russian author whose books I've ever read is Tolstoy. I did some of Chekhov's plays in high school, though, and I love them." She searched for his eyes and theirs met. No one spoke for a whole minute. They were enjoying the silence—which was surprisingly comfortable.

Eriol broke it off first. "You should try reading Dostoevsky."

"Maybe someday." She said heavily. "What's the story?"

* * *

><p>THINGS were going much, much better for the following days, even weeks. Eriol eventually dropped his cold façade and became a lot friendlier towards Tomoyo. Despite still being authoritative and cocky and enigmatic as ever (he still stubbornly tried to refuse her offer although he looked clearly in a need off blood supply, too), the do-not-approach-me aura around him had subsided significantly. It was as though they were going back to their elementary days. They also had momentary bickering as a plus, sometimes.<p>

Tomoyo, to be honest, was glad at this recent development. She didn't feel lonely anymore, for Eriol had changed into a good housemate. They did gardening together, which usually ended up playing with water sprinkler. Once in a while he helped her cooking their meals, and when he worked on his company's documents in the study she would silently sat on the big couch nearby reading a novel. In every other weekend Sakura came by to visit them, bringing along her daughter and husband. Li Syaoran wasn't someone who had a kind of buddy-buddy relationship with Hiiragizawa Eriol, but he did his best to act civil. Tsubame, on the other hand, always succeeded to bring out the warm atmosphere thanks to her cuteness.

It was so peaceful Tomoyo almost forgot about Ishida Yuuki.

…Almost.

She had made a mental note to straighten things out with him. Only if something brought them to meet again, be it fate, destiny, or a horse whatsoever. Wait, a horse? Damn. That _Tangled_ movie was sure going into her head.

One night, Tomoyo was awoken by a howling sound coming from Eriol's bedchamber. She practically threw away her warm, thick duvet, leapt off the bed and dashed out without thinking; running down the long corridors barefooted. In spite of the chill air of winter, she didn't bother to cover her thin nightgown. All she could think was to get to his room as fast as possible.

Nakuru and Spinel were coming from the opposite direction when she arrived. Both looked worried.

"Hiiragizawa?!" Tomoyo called out, her fist banged the door. She had no clue what was happening to him. She let him drink from her after lunch. There wasn't supposed to be any problem.

So why was he sounding so tortured?

"Master?" Nakuru joined in. "Please open the door!"

Clumsily, Tomoyo reached the knob and tried to roll it. A soft _click_ followed. The door wasn't locked. She exchanged glance with Nakuru before barging in for her own risk, the Moon Guardian behind her. What greeted them wasn't a pleasant sight.

Eriol was writhing on the floor. Thrashing. Whimpering. Like a fish being taken out from water.

Tomoyo dashed forward in frenzy, slouching down beside Eriol and helping Nakuru lift him back onto bed. He was damn heavy even for two grown-up women but they didn't have many choice.

"When did the last time you feed him?!" Nakuru snapped angrily.

"I fed him today!" Tomoyo answered, her tone desperate. "Akizuki-san, please. I don't know what's happening."

"Do that again."

It was Spinel's voice. The feline just flew in and landed on the backrest of a wooden chair. It was the very same chair Eriol used to strip Tomoyo off three weeks ago, and she had to keep her thought undistracted, for this was really not the time to blush or get embarrassed.

"What?"

"Make him drink again." It repeated. "It's only my rough guess, but there's a chance that Master had reached the point where you must increase the dosage of blood given to him."

Biting her lower lip, Tomoyo glanced at Nakuru and found the girl nod in encouragement. She hesitantly sat on the edge of bed, swallowed uneasily, but then she mustered her determination and began to cradle up the crook of his neck with shaking hands. "Come on, get up, get up." She cooed on his ear. "I have what you need, Hiiragizawa. Come on."

Nakuru helped supporting his back so that he could sit. The sorcerer whimpered slightly, his face still contorted in pain but he was a bit calmer now. His body leaned heavily against Tomoyo's, his chin rested on her left shoulder.

"Go on." She prompted.

He inhaled, taking in her scent.

"Take it. Hurry up."

He slowly nuzzled her neck, sniffing, searching the biting spot.

"Please."

His fangs pierced through her skin.

Eriol drank and drank and drank. With every droplets going down his throat, his harsh intake of breath slowed down. He took a lot from her until Tomoyo's head started getting dizzy from the blood loss.

And yet he still didn't stop.

_Oh gods. He would drain her to death if this continues._

"Hiiragizawa," Tomoyo gasped, "I… I'm beginning to see black spots."

It was only a little louder than a whisper, but Nakuru heard it anyway. Eyes widened, she rushed forward and tried to pry them apart but to no avail. He lingered at Tomoyo like a leech, clutching her forearms tightly as he found back his strength (she was sure it would leave finger marks later), clearly still out-of-consciousness.

Tomoyo felt her eyes roll backwards. She can't hang on any longer. He had to stop… NOW.

"MASTER!"

_Slap!_

Nakuru successfully hit Eriol across his cheek, presenting him with a red, fresh handprint which probably wouldn't disappear for another five hours. She also successfully brought out her master from his trance, and at the moment he was blinking in order to register what had just occurred; a limp Tomoyo in his arms.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	15. The Making of New Memories

from **skybluescramble** :

Honestly speaking, I don't know how many chapters this story needs until its end.

I began writing **SCARLET** expecting twelve chapters or so, but it's already reaching chapter fourteen. Still a long way to go, haha.

I'll try hard not to leave this story unfinished.

Also, I've had several scenarios/versions of ending for **SCARLET** playing in my head, so let's just hope I can give you something good enough when it's time.

Proofreader credit: **koichii**.

Reviewer credit: **Forene**, **prilly55**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **ulq4schiffer**, **Maria-Reynne**, **cheng**, **EuroCuttie**, **Zetsubouaichan**, **MimoRei13**, **sweet-sunflower**, and **estefani1509**.

enjoy!

* * *

><p><span><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

"EVENTUALLY, I would really kill you."

Eriol's voice was filled with guilt when he met Tomoyo in the kitchen that morning. He took in her appearance in silence: green apron, blue oversized jumper (his, actually), white wool skirt, and a pair of cream-colored leg warmer. She also wore winter-designed house slippers to protect her feet from the chilled floor. She still had her bed hair and looked excruciatingly tired, which made him difficult to speak.

"I realized that." She kept chopping garlic on the cutting board, stopping only around three seconds to lift her face and looked at him before going back to work. By the sight of the ingredients she prepared, she was making omelets for breakfast. Also some cheese sandwiches, maybe.

"So why were you still…"

His sentence halted mid-way with the sound of her putting down her knife. She turned to him, arms crossed. "I think we dropped that issue already, Hiiragizawa."

A staring contest.

Eriol let out a defeated sigh in another minute.

"I'll try not to hurt you." He said finally. "Not more than this."

Was that a promise?

Could be one.

Tomoyo smiled. "Look, you don't have to make such kind of obligation because you feel bad about me. I'm fine. I want to be useful, okay? This conversation is over." She turned her attention back to diced garlic. Eriol opened his mouth, thinking a way to rebut the girl in front of him but then he made a smart decision by not discussing the topic again.

Instead he said…

"Do you need any help with that? I'll make coffee for us."

* * *

><p>PIECE #14:<p>

**The Making of New Memories**

* * *

><p>"MOVIE date?" Blinking in disbelief, Tomoyo parroted what Eriol just said. That was the most unlikely thing she'd heard from the handsome sorcerer. She was too shocked to react so she simply froze on her place and stared at him with a dazed expression. And when Eriol nodded his head determinedly, her confusion grew. "You? With me?"<p>

He nodded again.

"Are you… are you serious?" Still, Tomoyo found it was hard to believe what she was hearing. Eriol groaned exasperatedly as a result, raking a hand through his uncombed hair only to make it more disheveled than ever. But for a weird reason, the look suited him well enough.

"God, woman! How many times do you want me to repeat myself?"

Tomoyo cringed in guilt. "Sorry," she said. "Um… but why?"

For a moment Eriol looked like he was struggling with words. Then came his earful rambling. "So… you really do think I want to keep you prisoner by not letting you go out and such? Actually, it's not that I'm ordering you to be here all day, in the manor, going outside only for groceries or buying things in the supermarket. You're allowed to go anywhere you please, but it's you who never ask! Do you think I'll say no? Or do you think I'm going to bite?—well, I know I _do_ bite you, but this one is not that kind of bite—oh bloody hell, I'm speaking nonsense right now. Anyway!" He closed his eyes and took a deep, long breath, trying to regain his composure. When his eyes reopened, he had that charming, serious stare. "I want you to also have some fun."

It left her speechless.

If not touched.

Oh yes, she was touched.

"Why the date?"

Tomoyo wanted to curse at herself right after those words were spoken. She should have said a simple 'thank you' instead of interrogating him. She should have known better. "No, you don't have to answer. Just forget it."

But then came his silent chuckle.

"Are you always asking the obvious?" One of his fists was pressed on his upper lip as an attempt to cover an amused grin. "In spite of what actually happened between us, you're my wife. It's completely legal if I take you out for a date. Besides…"

Her heart thumped a little faster.

"...We never had a quality time before."

Tomoyo pondered over his words. It took her a full minute before her shy reply could be heard. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes." She strengthened her affirmation with a sweet smile. "That would be great. It's been awhile since the last time I went to the cinema, to be honest."

His feature brightened. "Good. So tonight, I expect you to walk down the stairway at seven. If you can't find anything you like to wear, feel free to tell Ruby Moon. She'll solve it. Don't be late."

Yet, how could she not finding something presentable for a simple date when he had made her wardrobe full with nothing but fancy clothes?

* * *

><p>NAKURU whistled teasingly the moment Eriol stood up right as he saw Tomoyo appeared at the top of the stairs. That made him threw his guardian a sharp warning glare; he disliked being teased. Nakuru gave her master an innocent shrug in return.<p>

"Thanks for waiting." Tomoyo smiled up to Eriol. She saw from the corner of her eye Nakuru slowly retreating backwards with a meaningful smirk, as her presence was becoming invisible and unnecessary.

He returned the smile. "Let's go."

"I'll take care of the manor!" shouted Nakuru from afar, a hint of mischief could be sensed in her voice. "Feel free not to come home, if the date goes well!"

Tomoyo immediately turned slightly pink.

"Don't mind her. Ruby Moon doesn't know what she means by that." Eriol said, trying to break the sudden awkwardness that fell upon them. Then, he cleared his throat. He also squared his broad shoulders. Next, he let his eyes meet hers—and didn't realize that he almost made her gasp from the intensity of his stare. "Can we depart now?"

"Of course."

They walked out the front door holding hands.

It was a relief that they didn't have any problem choosing what to watch. Both were obviously avoiding chick-flicks, for awkward situations might come. Horror movies were not exactly Tomoyo's thing (the image of their ghosts often haunted her afterwards) and so they quickly agreed on the first trilogy of The Hobbit.

Tomoyo was an attentive audience. She couldn't help herself not to let out small gasps or soft squeals, which Eriol took as his entertainment. He bought them a large bucket of buttered popcorn before entering the studio but when the movie ended, it was still half-full. That got him curious, so he asked her. "Why didn't you eat?"

She blushed prettily and said, "Sorry. I just… couldn't take my eyes off the screen."

That was personal information.

Trivial, but personal nonetheless.

Now Eriol knew that Tomoyo didn't snack while watching a movie.

* * *

><p>THEIR dinner went surprisingly pleasant. Eriol made a reservation at a cozy, spacey, warm yakiniku restaurant in a hope that they could relax and chat more comfortably after spending the last four hours together. It worked. He opened the conversation by mentioning how good the movie was; she gave her response and he made a comment or two on her arguments, then everything went smooth. By the time they were aware of time, the restaurant was nearing its closing hour.<p>

"Let's take the train home."

Eriol stopped walking. They were in the way to the parking area where he parked his car when suddenly Tomoyo blurted out such an unusual suggestion. He turned his head to the side and saw her smiling, which made him raise a brow questioningly. "Give me a good reason and I might consider your idea."

She gave a hearty laugh. "_Good_ reason?"

"Well," he shrugged, "it's cold. I prefer my warm car."

He was right anyway. Winter night wasn't really suitable for strolling.

Tomoyo masked on a serious face, pretending to be thinking hard. "You see…" she began, "it's been quite long since the last I experienced good time, and if we get into your car, we'll be home quickly. I don't want that."

Her cheeks were slightly pink; whether it was because of the cold air or she really was blushing, Eriol didn't know.

"I don't want this night to end," she added a moment later. "Not yet."

An honest confession.

Silence took them for a moment. Then…

"Let's walk to the station," said Eriol with extended arm, waiting for Tomoyo to take it. His facial feature remained calm, even though it wasn't the stoic, cold expression he often showed her in their first month living together at Hiiragizawa Manor.

The city was wonderfully pretty. Lights from billboards, street lamps, traffic signs, and LEDs decorated it perfectly, creating a breathtaking night sight. Tomoyo look around enthusiastically, sometimes pointing her finger towards whatever caught her attention.

"Isn't that shop cute?"

"You see, I always wanted to enter that place since I was a teenager."

"Ah… that restaurant really serves delicious dishes! It's my mother's favorite."

"Hiiragizawa, do you know about that shop? I've never seen it before."

Or something like that.

It was quite late already, which explained why the train they hopped into wasn't very crowded. Even so, Eriol didn't get a seat and instead he chose to stand exactly in front of Tomoyo. He slightly bent his posture, protecting her from outsiders' wandering eyes—it's also a precautionary act in case drunken men were there, for they tend to create disturbance or do sexual harassment.

"Your hair smells nice."

Tomoyo looked up in an instant at his murmur, giving him a look. She didn't exactly know what's the best way to respond. "Um, it's Akizuki-san's shampoo."

"Did I just sound like a perverted old man?"

"Who's taking advantage of a full train to sniff a woman's hair and compliment the smell as an excuse to start a conversation?" She was now giggling softly. "Yes, Hiiragizawa. Very much."

"It's snowing."

"Eh?"

"Outside." Eriol spoke, looking straight out of the window. "It's snowing."

Tomoyo was barely able to hide her excitement. She tried to turn her head around, clearly desperate to see it herself. "First snow?!"

"Yeah."

"So much good things happen today, eh?"

The young sorcerer smiled. "Indeed."

That was when Eriol came to realization that this Daidouji girl was growing on him already.

Around an hour later, tired, happy, and well-fed, they stepped inside the manor feeling content. Eriol held open the door as they entered the foyer, waiting until she was inside before letting it close behind him. He hovered there for a moment, facing away from her with both eyes shut. They hadn't exchanged words since they got off the train (Tomoyo was too busy admiring the snowdrops all the way home), but he was grinning ear to ear and he knew she was as well, though inwardly. There was a spark of joy laced within her amethyst orbs—she wasn't very difficult to read anyway.

"Hiiragizawa," she called quietly, causing him to turn around.

"Yes?"

He looked at her dead in the eye. She gave him a soft expression, one that made his stomach churn.

"Good night."

"Good night."

"…and thank you. It was wonderful."

He didn't found the slightest bit of sarcasm in her words. They were all sincere. "My pleasure."

* * *

><p>TOMOYO went to her room, loving the feeling of her fluffy, warm house slippers under her feet. She opened her closet and undressed, changing into a pajama pair. After tossing and turning on her bed for about forty minutes or so, the young Daidouji gave up, deciding a bath should do the trick. Nothing was better than submerging her body in hot water, moreover in a chilly night like this. The reason she initially decided to skip bath was because it was late, but if it resulted in being unable to sleep then she wouldn't give the clock a damn.<p>

Like any other rooms in the Hiiragizawa Manor, the bathroom was flawlessly clean, beautiful, and spacey. Huge, even. Not to mention every single stuff there seemed expensive and thoroughly taken care of, despite the fact that its owner was abroad for years. The tub could fit half a dozen adults, in Tomoyo's opinion, which was quite heavenly for someone who baths alone.

She decided bath time was over when the water grew lukewarm. Tiny shivers were felt running up and down her spine as she looked around in search for a towel.

_Damn it._

She left the bloody towel in her bedroom.

Along with her clean pair of pajama.

_Stupid, stupid!_

Tomoyo stared at the door blankly while her mind was looking for a solution. The manor only had one bathroom in each floor, and there was no way she would walk back to her chamber butt naked in a bloody cold night unless she wanted to commit suicide. Wearing her dirty clothes? No, no, she already threw it into the laundry basket. Besides, where was the point in having a bath if she put on dirty clothes?

"Daidouji?"

Her body went rigid. It was Eriol.

"I know you're there."

He was in the changing area, separated from her by a single door. She could see his silhouette. And of course he knew she was inside, he must had seen her dress and—oh shit—undergarments in the laundry basket.

What the heck was he doing, sneaking in like that? What was he playing at? Tomoyo soundlessly hugged her knees as if he could see her. "Yes…?" She asked, voice cracking. Bloody nervousness.

"Sorry for disturbing, but I hope we can talk." He was right on the other side of the door and Tomoyo unconsciously squeezed her further to the corner of the tub. "Later, of course. After you're done."

He had to be joking.

It was well past midnight and she was butt naked in a bathtub that probably cost more than those fancy outfits in her wardrobe. Out of the blue her mind was filled with a slew of inappropriate scenarios. She couldn't help it. But in all honesty, was it really inappropriate? The ring given by Eriol glinted under the dim, yellow lights of bathroom. Hell, they were married.

Married couples saw each other naked. It was common sense.

_Your marriage thing is nothing more than an act_, she reminded herself.

Yet she inwardly wished there was something more. Besides, it wasn't like they hadn't done anything related to sinful pleasure before.

"On a second thought," she heard Eriol speak again, "you must be knackered. I'll speak to you at breakfast. Good night."

"Wait!"

Good lord, was that she saying?

"I… I need your help."

Oh yes, that was she.

Tomoyo didn't know what possessed her to ask, but the words left her lips before she could restrain them.

"J-just hand me a towel. I… left it in my bedroom. C-can't get out of the tub." She swallowed hard as silence followed. The former Daidouji heiress wanted nothing else but dunk her head in the water and drown, rid herself of the anxiety and embarrassment and stupidity of it all, but her frustrations came to an abrupt halt when the doorknob slowly turned.

What?

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

_Holy shit, he's coming inside!_

Tomoyo hugged her knees tighter, feeling tiny drops of water slide down her forehead and back and forearms and that narrow spot between her bare breasts. Suddenly she was very aware of how exposed she was in comparison to him, and it didn't take long before he reflected that realization.

It might be her imagination, but his eyes seemed to darken.

She had to break the thick atmosphere. "Mind giving me that towel before I freeze my arse off here?"

"Right." Eriol stepped closer, stopped to spread a soft, big olive green towel like a flag, and waited. "Come on. I'll wrap it around you as soon as you stand up."

Tomoyo gave him a blank stare.

"Will you… will you look aside?"

He chuckled low. "Alright. But it's not like I haven't seen you naked anyway."

"Oh, shut up." Tomoyo scooted towards the other end of the tub and slowly came to her feet, cupping her breasts and turning her back to the young man. He had no idea how frantic her heart was hammering against her chest. She silently hoped he would quickly drape the towel around her so she could dash out of this weird situation.

It took several nerve-wracking seconds before he did.

Tomoyo held the towel in place with one hand while the other squeezed the hem of the fluffy fabric nervously. Clearing her throat, she finally found her voice. "Thank you." No, she didn't dare face Eriol. His heated gaze upon her exposed neck and shoulder blades felt so strongly; she was afraid she might melt any soon.

"I don't see your change out there." Eriol said matter-of-factly. He noticed Tomoyo begin to relax hearing his conversation attempt. "I saw your pajama on the bed, but since you only asked for a towel I didn't bring it here."

"Never mind. It wasn't your fault."

She was still having an inner debate whether to turn around in spite of his presence or to shoo the man away first.

Which left her off-guard.

**.**

**to be continued.**


	16. The Moonless Night

from **skybluescramble** :

hello :)

I give you another update.

**WARNING:**

**this chapter contains some stuffs that make me changed the rating to M**

so please, be considerate.

I mean, I don't get it when people report a fan-fiction to FFn for its adult contents when it has been labeled M-rated already by the author. if you can't stand M-rated fictions, then just don't read! simple.

credit goes to **ulq4schiffer**, **reansensei**, **SecretlyInLoveWithYourFanfic**, **EuroCuttie**, **MariaReynne**, and **cheng** who reviewed.

and also **elmzala** for proofreading this chapter.

enjoy!

and because I'll have final examination for the next two weeks… let's hope so that I can make some time to write the next chapter as soon as it is over, haha.

* * *

><p><span><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

* * *

><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

.

.

PIECE #15:

**The Moonless Night**

.

EVERYTHING happened so fast Tomoyo didn't have the chance to comprehend it; Eriol had swept her off feet before she could blink and when she was—at last—aware of her situation, he was walking along the long corridor carrying her. The air was chilly and it made her shiver a bit, but several parts of her skin under his touch felt warm. "Hiiragizawa, put me down." She croaked, her beating heart hadn't calmed down yet.

"You'll freeze." He said.

"I'll just… run to my room." It was a lame reply and Tomoyo knew it. Tilting her head down ever further to hide her blush, she hoped that Eriol still had some gentleman bits in him to not laugh at her.

Her wish was granted.

"I won't risk it." Eriol kept walking. His long strides shortened the distance between the bathroom and her chamber.

_Really?_

"It's not my bedroom." Tomoyo realized, a split-second before he kicked the door open (it wasn't properly closed) and they were inside. He had brought her to his chamber. Again, those totally un-ladylike thoughts flashed across her mind and her body tensed in anticipation.

"It isn't." He agreed, advancing towards the bed.

The young man gently laid her down to his soft, thick duvet, and she instinctively snuggled beneath the warmth. The strong scent of Eriol wafted into her nostrils from everywhere: the bedspread, the pillows, even the air inside his chamber smelled so much like him.

"Give me your towel." She heard him command.

Flummoxed, Tomoyo stared blankly at the man. "What?"

"You heard me, Daidouji." Speaking with his back facing her, Eriol shrugged his T-shirt off, leaving him bare-chested and clad only in charcoal-colored sweatpants. He didn't repeat his early words. Just right when Tomoyo was about to spit one or two insult, he gave her a gruff warning. "Don't mistake me as a lecher. Your towel is wet. You'll get sick."

_But you're already one!_ Slightly irritated and mostly embarrassed, Tomoyo went further into the duvet and fumbled with the end of her towel as she unwrapped herself. "Here," said her a moment later, right hand poking out giving him what he asked. "You understand that I'm not wearing even a stitch under this damn thing, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

_See? And you don't admit yourself being lecherous?_

"What are you planning?"

Eriol seemed rather amused. He picked the wet towel from her grasp and retreated. "Nothing. You may not believe me, but my only reason of bringing you here is because my room is closer than yours. I can lend you some clean clothes and slippers to put on if you're so desperate to sleep in your own chamber. They're in my size, of course."

Studying his features carefully before assuming he was honest, she considered the option. Let's see… she had to walk along the corridor, passing about a dozen empty guest rooms to reach hers. In this hour. In this cold night. On the other hand, she was already nestled in warmth, which strangely provided her consolation and sense of security and…

Her eyes fell onto the wedding band in her ring finger.

_Oh, bugger it all!_

"I… I don't want to move." She admitted shyly. "I'll sleep here tonight."

"Alright." Eriol moved to switch off the lamp and the air conditioner and set the fire up for substitute. Tomoyo gasped in surprise; she never noticed there was actually a fireplace inside his bedchamber. Sensing her amazement, he gave a quick explanation. "There's one in your room as well. Actually, every room has it, for this is a Western-style manor. Sometimes I prefer using it instead of electronic air-heater, the noise of crackling flame sounds like lullaby to me."

"You miss England." Tomoyo mused.

He scoffed. "Perhaps. But my life here isn't bad either."

"I'm sorry."

Eriol turned around. His gaze was soft as he spoke. "This isn't your fault, Daidouji. Now sleep. It's late."

"You're not coming to bed?"

Before Tomoyo could think about her choice of words, it was already blurted out. Her face went pink instantly, but she looked at him stubbornly, demanding answer.

"I'll have the couch," was his curt reply.

Her amethyst eyes narrowed into slits. "No way. You'll not sleep on the couch. This is your bed."

"I'm not arguing this with you."

"Yes, you are!" shrilled Tomoyo, now angry. "Why are you being so damn headstrong sometimes? And for heaven's sake, stop acting so hypocritical! In weeks prior you ate me out into oblivion, then now you refuse to do much more innocent thing, like, sharing a bed with me? You're impossible. I'm your bloody wife, you see."

"The marriage isn't real." Eriol groused. This certain woman was obliquely playing with fire. However, what made it worse was she seemed not aware at all of the effects she might cause.

_Oh? Now he's playing holy and saint?_

Sitting up, she made a noise that sounded like a scorching snort. "The neighbors don't know the truth." Her left arm snuggled out of the comfortable warmth his thick duvet provided, pointing at the left side of his bed, which was still unaccompanied. "I'll promise I won't snore. I will also stay on my side. You can pretend I'm not present or anything. Just… please, climb onto bed. I insist."

"Give me one reason to."

Between the lit fireplace and being pulled into his penetrating gaze, it felt as if the room had grown even hotter than it should be. "Well… as a side benefit you can drink from me before sleep."

He shook his head. "I've got it six times today. Not good enough."

Silence followed. Almost regrettably, Tomoyo sighed in defeat whilst throwing both arms upwards—totally absentminded that she put the upper half of her chest on display. "Whatever. I don't know. Will you just do it?"

"Don't give me that rubbish, Daidouji." The young sorcerer tittered. "Everyone does something for a reason, and if you cannot give me one to grant your request, I'd like to hear whatever triggers you to ask me such thing."

"I don't know!" repeated the raven-haired girl, hands were now clutching on his duvet anxiously. "I just… want…"

"Want what?"

Swallowing, she forced the words out. "Us. Being near each other. I… I understand that we'll not be touching, but experience tells me I drop off to slumber far quicker and easier when you're around."

Admitting lies might be hard, but admitting the truth was far more humiliating than she ever imagined.

"Is that so, Daidouji? Do you realize what would happen if we acted upon our every whim, just because we wanted to?"

A perplexed Tomoyo was about to utter "_no_" when she saw blur movements, and the next thing happened was her arms being pulled from in front of her and held down by her sides. Eriol's lips firmly descended upon hers, one knee smoothly breaching in between her legs, his kneecap pushing against her duvet-covered crotch. Being made into a Tomoyo sandwich between his body and the headboard, she felt overwhelmed by their close proximity. They had never shared a kiss before. What did this possibly mean made her stomach lurched.

She felt a knot form in the pit of her belly that she guessed had little to do with nervousness. Her physique was humming with suppressed delight, abandoning everything around but him. Had it not been for his palms pressing down on hers, she would have them linked around his neck to bring them closer.

_God, forgive me._

Her head fell forward, forehead rested on the crook of his neck as Eriol swiped his tongue across her earlobe and nibbled at it. She trembled deliciously in his strong arms, making him gulp with difficulties as he tried to regain some self-control. "Make me stop," the man said.

Tomoyo whispered back. "No."

"We need to stop now."

"I don't want to. You're warm." She sounded so desperate, like a person who almost cry. The fall and rise of her breasts due to breathing caused her stiffened twin peaks to brush against his hard planes. He felt blood rushed downwards, gathering at a certain part of his anatomy and suddenly his baggy sweatpants was getting uncomfortable. He growled in frustration.

"Loneliness may be chained to this, Daidouji." He gently lifted her face so that they were looking at each other's eyes. "We can't. When you put two lonely people altogether, it only doubles the loneliness."

She covered his hands in hers. "I'm not lonely. Not anymore. It's a fact that my life is different from it once was, but I have a new identity. I have friends: Akizuki-san, Spinel, the greengrocer lady, even Li-kun and Sakura-chan befriended me again. On top of that…" Inhaling deeply, Tomoyo mustered her courage to tell him words which were hanging on the tip of her tongue. "I also have you. Perhaps I can ease half your loneliness away."

"No. I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." She wanted to stomp her foot like a child having a tantrum when Eriol was being thickheaded. "You just don't want to hurt me, right? You think I didn't get it? Acting like an utter bastard so I won't have any sentimentality regarding your cursed condition, do you think of me that daft for not being able to know what it actually meant? Let me tell you one thing, Hiiragizawa. By doing so, you didn't only hurt me, but also hurting yourself at the same time. I know you're always a good man. Now that we've come to a better understanding, listen to me and listen well."

She kept hold of his dark orbs.

Her hands were set free from his grasp's prison and in the dim room she reached out, parting apart his sweaty bangs, smoothing down his jaw line using both palms. She was sure the carved surface of the headboard would leave patterned marks on her back skin; she had been leaning against that wooden plane a little bit too long.

"Sleep. With me. Here."

And Tomoyo fell back down onto the pillows eliciting a loud, surprise gasp as Eriol tugged hard on her feet before covering her body with his.

* * *

><p>THE first time his name glided smoothly from her swollen lips was when his hand slithered under the duvet and made direct contact with her twin globes. It sounded more like a nearly-inaudible whisper, but Eriol didn't complain. Not that he wanted to. It was him who brought out such a reaction from her and that awareness alone was enough already to inflate his male ego.<p>

"Open your eyes." He breathed with thick voice. Tomoyo deliberately complied; she was too absorbed in the world of sensations to notice that her eyes had been shut tight for quite some time. She was only a mere centimeter away from hyperventilating had it not been for Eriol who muttered breathing instructions, though his chest swelled almost painfully, heart thumped so hard beneath his skin it might as well burst out. From his position, he could see the details on her face: mussed raven locks all around her head, small beads of sweat that began to form at her temples, dark pink and swollen lips slightly parted, bangs stuck against her damp forehead, dazed eyes, tiny freckles on the tip of her nose…

She was so delicate and trusting and looked so pure.

If beauty could kill, Eriol thought he would die anytime soon.

With great effort, the young sorcerer wrenched himself away and straightened his back, kneeling beside her. "Present yourself to me," he commanded. "I want to see you."

Tomoyo felt her body went rigid with nervousness at his request. She was already stark naked under the duvet, and now what? He wanted her to slip out of the only barrier between them? Gods, the heat radiating from his exposed chest would melt her into a puddle of goo in no time. She unconsciously grasped his bed sheet, tangled the rich cloth between her fingers.

"Do as I say, Daidouji." His voice was low, sultry, and commanding. It was nearly sinful for a flesh-and-blood man to have such a voice. "Show yourself."

She lifted her chin slightly and gave a single tiny nod. She wouldn't cower and stop now, not after all those things she said to him. With trembling hands, she pushed the duvet downwards, revealing bit by bit of her chest. Finally, she kicked it aside gently with her left foot and raised her torso until she was half-sitting, supported by his pillows. Her face was pink from embarrassment, but Eriol held her gaze strong, refusing to let her look away. He was watching her.

The way Eriol was watching Tomoyo, predatory and concentrated, was a kind of silent domination and he wielded it masterfully, as if it was as natural to him as breathing. He was taking over the control. He had granted her request, and in return he would make her obey him like a powerful wizard he once was. Even now he was still strong, despite his magical power weakened because of the Curse.

He was calm, intent, and his dark orbs were glittered with hunger. Tomoyo felt like she was standing on the edge of an impossibly high cliff—knowing she was about to give her well-being, her vulnerability—to a man who could drain her to death just in one bite. A man who said that her scent was like a drug to him. Lingering, teasing, tempting.

Her heart beat loudly with anticipation, thrumming in her ears. Her bare thighs felt cold despite the warm room.

Eriol let a brief smile slip onto his face at her courage. This small, frail-looking but strong woman in front of him was giving him, and him alone, reign over her. Willingly. And though Eriol would never admit it, he was truly honored. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and noted the way she stared back at him: hard, determined not to betray her inexperience, defied him to laugh at her. That was the moment he saw something glinted in between her left fingers which happen to grip his sheet.

A platinum wedding band.

The one he made for her.

His inside roared in triumph.

Tomoyo relaxed slightly when she caught him smiling. However, her reprieve flew out of the window in the next instant as he reached out, grabbed her chin and gently tilted her head upwards. She inhaled sharply, lips parted from both his sudden touch and her breath intake. Eriol swallowed. He wanted to consume her, to have her embedded completely inside him. But if he kissed her this time, it would be over. So he held back.

"Who are you?" His voice raw and thick, and it took all of his self-control not to crush her against his body. With feral gaze his eyes transfixed at her moving mouth as she whispered, "Your wife."

Eriol felt his own heart speed up.

"What's your name?" He asked her again.

It took a full fifteen seconds for this question to dawn on Tomoyo. She struggled to manage her breathing, her chest rising and falling sharply. Her whole body was slowly yet steadily burning. "Hiiragizawa. Hiiragizawa… Tomoyo," was her almost inaudible reply. She watched his jaw clenched before he hissed out his next command.

"Say my name."

A small shiver washed over Tomoyo at the sorcerer's request. A sort of erotic embarrassment flooded her mind. What she didn't know was at the very same moment, the man in front of her was hit again with the knowledge of what this dark-haired, sincere young woman was giving him. It felt very much like the first true demonstration of full faith in him that anyone had ever shown him. And deep down, he swore to himself that no way in hell he was going to fuck this chance up.

"My name, Tomoyo." Eriol persuaded. "Say it."

Averting her eyes from his jaw line, Tomoyo looked up at him. He was truly beautiful, and even though she already knew that, this intimate setting made it like a new revelation. Everything about him—his physique, his facial expressions, his aura, _everything_—was overtly sexual. He was aware of that, of course, and he used it to his advantage.

Tomoyo couldn't take it anymore. She had been trying to focus on anything other than how exposed she felt, but failed. Her body was reacting to him; the pooling wetness in between her closed thighs was evidence. This time was her turn to swallow visibly. It would be harder for her from now on. She had a blur realization that he would make her admit that she wanted this.

To give this to him, despite whatsoever.

"Eriol." Tomoyo whimpered helplessly, her amethyst orbs shut close. She missed the stream of emotions that played over his face before the carefully controlled expression returned, but hell, she was already trembling and he just barely touched her. "Eriol. Please, please…"

She didn't know what she was pleading for. All she knew was that she craved, yearned for something she couldn't name and hoped he would give whatever it was to her. He eventually let go of her chin to straighten his back, standing full-height at the edge of his bed, eyes never leaving her bare body.

"Lay down flat. On your back." He said in tone that offered no room for negotiation. For the first time, Tomoyo became aware of how much control he was exerting over himself.

Why was he going so slow?

What was he doing?

Why did she feel so itchy and squirmy?

In a moment of panic, there was a flash on an idea that maybe he was going to humiliate her. Somehow. Probably he would leave her unfulfilled. Mocking her. Or worse. But then she remembered the way he asked, the croaked sound he made. Hiiragizawa Eriol was, if nothing else, selfish. At the end of the day, he would always get whatever he wanted.

Which also meant, he _would_ have his way with her.

Still with legs pressed together, she shifted slowly and lied down in the middle of his bed. Looking up to the ceiling, Tomoyo tried to overcome her anxiety and nervousness. She was unable to look the man in the eye. Fear crept in. She realized it was a bit irrational because they had done something more embarrassing before, yet she couldn't help feeling afraid.

He was going to deflower her.

_Oh, god_s.

She had never experienced more than some kisses with anybody else and they both knew it. He would be her first. No matter what happens in the future, she would never forget about tonight.

Eriol, noticing she wasn't looking, turned away from her, eyes closed and a little unnerved by his reaction to the breathtaking creature exposed completely before him. He reminded himself to go slow and savor each moment. He would take his time with her. He had so much to show her. So much to convey to her.

When he regained his focus, Eriol turned around and his insides lurched at the vision of her. The complete faith and trust she put in him filled his head with an intense longing.

It was the stuff of his most private dreams. This woman, so beautiful, so pure, whose presence had haunted him restlessly, laid out for him. In his bed. For the second time. Raven, shiny locks fanned out around her head, contrast with a sea of ivory skin and two rosy peaks. She was glorious in her nakedness.

Eriol's head hurt.

His chest ached, swelling with gratitude.

He vowed then that she wouldn't regret a single instance of this night in his care.

Heart caught in his throat, Eriol walked along the side of the bed until he was parallel with her shoulders and knelt down. Tomoyo turned her face away from him. Her anxiety was palpable. An expression of shame etched on her features. It made him torn between awe and heartbreak. Gently, he lifted a large hand and brushed the back of his fingers along her neck and leaned his forehead to her temple, enjoying the sensation as their facial skin met. And then, a moment later, Tomoyo heard the gentlest voice she'd ever heard coming from his lips.

"I don't deserve you, Tomoyo, but every day, everytime I look at you…" Eriol trailed off, failing in finding the right words to finish what he had in mind. "You have no idea what you do to me. Let me see you again, Tomoyo. All of you. Open your legs for me. Please."

His plea resounded through her head.

_Please._

_Please…_

The sound of her first name brought her attention away from her fear. Eriol squeezed his eyes and stayed there for a while, trying to find his equilibrium. He was flushed and trembling inside at the desperation of his spoken demand.

When was the last time he begged for something?

He used to be the one receiving pleadings, not the other way around.

Eriol moved away, his revelation left him too vulnerable and he stood again at his previous spot where he could have a good look of her whole body. This time she dared to watch him, those amethyst orbs followed his movements wordlessly despite her guarded expression. He looked down at her exposed figure, wanted to burn this vision into his brain. As their gaze reunited, Eriol began undoing the cotton strings which keep his sweatpants around his hips. Without missing the glimmer of curiosity flickering there, he sensed her gaze drift downwards, following the thin line of hair leading to his working hands. A smirk threatened to appear across his lips.

Now after the strings had been undone, he paused. For god's sake he was nervous. More than he had been his first time, long ago. He could see Tomoyo staring openly at him, her own breath quickened. Setting her determination against her nerves, the long-haired beauty, ever so slowly, brought her knees up into a bent position.

Eriol licked his drying lips, his stomach flip-flopped. He wanted more nevertheless. What she presented him wasn't enough yet.

"Spread your legs, Tomoyo. Show me your pussy."

**.**

**to be continued.**


	17. The Two of Us

from **skybluescramble** :

hello again, people.

I'm very sorry for the harsh ending in the last chapter.

I didn't intend to make it a cliffhanger, no.

Last chapter would be very long compared to the others if I didn't give it a cut somewhere and I was clueless about where the cut should be.

Again, I'm sorry if some people found it to be awkward or weird.

Here's another update.

Proofreader credit: **elmzala**.

Reviewer credit: **ulq4schiffer**, **SecretlyInLoveWithYourFanfic**, **Zetsubouaichan**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **EuroCuttie**, and **cheng**.

please read and review.

currently I'm trying to work on the next chapter, but it seems that it will take awhile to finish… *sigh

* * *

><p><span><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

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><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

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PIECE #16:

**The Two of Us**

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THE intensity in his dirty talk resulted in her stomach somersaulting. His words went straight into her core and more wetness leaked out. Tomoyo blushed deeper; she might be as red as tomatoes now but she couldn't rip her fixed eyes from his strong hands gripping the waist of his sweatpants as if he was ready to drop the clothing anytime. Gathering her wits, she moved out her feet tentatively and parted her knees.

"Oh, yeah. Like that. Yeeeeesss."

His approving groan gave Tomoyo the encouragement she needed. She let her knees fell open wider, meanwhile having her eyes focused at the ceiling. As her brain took in her situation, she gulped hard.

Dear Lord.

This was unbelievable.

She was showing Hiiragizawa Eriol her pussy. And his eyes were on her. She could feel it between her open legs, devouring her, consuming her.

"Wider." Her breath hitched harshly at the command, yet she complied, opening her center obscenely. She heard him let out a loud sigh. "Good girl."

There was a rustling and Tomoyo knew they were now both fully naked.

Eriol felt his heart swell it might burst out right of his chest. The whole realization of what she was allowing him to see, to take, and to own slammed into him, stealing his breath away. Tomoyo had handed him total control and responsibility for her. A wave of protectiveness took hold of him.

He needed to worship her.

He needed to put his hands on her.

He needed to gather her in his arms.

He needed to caress her smooth skin with his lips.

Anywhere.

_Everywhere_.

The sorcerer crawled over her and lowered his body onto hers, once again covering her petite frame underneath his larger one. His hardened length was hanging down between her legs—she for sure could feel it, because the ridge, the unexpectedly heavy weight, and the heat of it surprised her, making her whimper—, against her thigh. He rested the weight of his upper body on his forearms at either side of her head and smoothed the damp hair off her face. He looked down at her closed eyes and flushed face. She smiled at him, but kept closing her eyes.

"Tomoyo…" He wanted to say something to her, but not sure what. It rarely happened to him to be loss at words, yet here he was, attempting futilely to arrange a proper sentence. "I-I…"

Sensing something wasn't right, Tomoyo opened her eyes heavily to see an almost pained expression across his handsome features. An honest concern filled her clear orbs immediately and Eriol felt her small fingers wrapped around his forearms in a soothing contact.

"Eriol...?"

The Clow Reed reincarnation moaned in desperation and brought his hands to both sides of her face, holding the girl still. His head descended before softly, very carefully, pressing his mouth to hers.

It was their second kiss.

However, it had different sensation than the previous one he stole from her just several moments ago. This one felt gentle, intense, and hot at the very same time, Tomoyo felt she might liquefy just like molten butter.

When he pulled away, Tomoyo made a soft sigh and tilted her head up a little in silent request. Who was he to deny her? Kissing her again, he captured her bottom lip between his, nibbling at it, licking it using the tip of his tongue. He was asking permission and she opened her lips more, allowing him access into that sweet cavern, which he immediately took. Eriol gently explored and plundered her mouth. His act was unhurried and smooth; as if he intended to savor her taste.

The feel of his long body pressed down on her, skin on skin, and his large palms cradling her face awakened the fire in her and began undulating beneath him. Her hips moved against him, desperately looking for frictions. Eriol felt drugged; he was flooded with overwhelming needs to both continue his possession of her mouth, and to be deep inside her, where no one had ever been, to claim that also as his.

Tomoyo wrenched away her lips, her breath shallow and quick. "Take it," she panted, her eyes dilated. "Take it all."

"Fuck!" He ground out suddenly through gritted teeth, giving her a warning look which told her she'd better wield such power over him carefully. His brain was nearly dysfunctional as his mind was only a jumbled mess of images, thoughts, and feelings. They mixed up in a swirling muddled whirlpool. He lifted onto his knees and then positioned himself at her slick entrance. A knot grew in his chest at the view of her vulnerable state. Soon, he was going to take Daidouji Tomoyo's virginity.

No one else in the world would _ever_ be able to say that.

She was giving it to him.

It belonged to him.

Him alone.

Tomoyo shuddered when she felt pressure at her opening. Her eyes drifted close, heart hammering wild.

_Oh, God_.

This was it.

She was never going to be virgin again. From this moment on, she would be a woman who had had sex.

With Hiiragizawa Eriol.

A cursed man.

One of two Clow Reed reincarnations.

Her ex-classmate in Tomoeda Elementary.

The one who made her once peaceful life shattered into pieces by dragging her into this whole scenario.

But she needed him so much it hurt. She wanted him. It seemed as though it had been building between them since God knows when and it all came down to this very moment. And in the next minutes, when he snugly nestled within her, perhaps he would be the first and only person who would ever be inside her. This might etch Hiiragizawa Eriol into her life forever, branding him into her. But dear Lord, she didn't want to back off no matter what.

Tomoyo spread her legs more; her knees were up against his hips. Eriol pushed forward gently, breaching her folds like he was being sucked into that wet, scorching heat. She almost forgot how to breathe. He was careful and torturously slow, only sliding into her incrementally more each time. His muscles were pulled taut, moving over her, pulling out a little, pushing in a little, her body elastic as it trying to accommodate him.

And then they both felt it.

Her barrier.

Eriol gave her a soothing smile when he caught a glimpse of worry in her sparkling eyes. He was big; his length and thickness would for sure give Tomoyo uncomfortable pain at first. The man peppered her face and neck with kisses—not missing the spot where he usually drilled his fangs into her skin—and shifted a bit so she could rest her chin on his shoulder.

Bloody hell.

He wasn't even half the way in yet but she was already spiraling.

"Bite me." Eriol growled harshly. If she was about to experience painful thing, then he should as well. "Bite me, Tomoyo. NOW!"

At her intake of breath he thrust into her hard, ripping the thin bit of flesh, driving his entire shaft deep in her channel.

The girl under him jerked violently.

Tomoyo screamed into his skin, teeth sinking into his shoulder and she heard Eriol hissed aloud. Her slender arms wound around his back; she was clinging to him for dear life. His tip hit the back of her canal and she felt impossibly full. The ache in her belly was throbbing. It hurt more than she imagined but strangely, at the same time the knowledge of Eriol being inside her erased all kind of worry from her mind.

She felt safe.

On the other hand, Eriol had to use his every composure to stay still, giving her time to adjust to his size. It wasn't an easy task. She was incredibly tight. And hot. Her wall muscles clenched and squeezed and spasmed around him. Muttering a trail of curses under his breath, he wondered how an innocent girl could feel this exquisite. His shoulder stung as Tomoyo licked the wound the marked him with. Despite he didn't bleed, her pain dissipated she came to realization that she also hurt him—even if it was under his command.

And then, Eriol began moving.

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><p>THEIR calming breath was the only music she heard inside his room when it was finally over. They lay together in a tangled sweaty limbs and sheet and half-abandoned duvet, with her head tucked comfortably under his chin. None of them wanted to move. The afterglow of their coupling left their body humming in bliss and words seemed to only ruin the beautiful moment.<p>

Tomoyo breathed in his scent.

Her lips formed a small smile.

Eriol lazily ran his hand across her head, smoothing back her hair, prompting her to sleep. And sleep they did, so peaceful and deep nothing could wake them up.

He hadn't even pulled out of her.

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><p>BRIGHT sunray peeking through the curtain was the thing that woke him up. Considering from its ability to get through his thick curtain, it was probably somewhere close to noon. Swearing inwardly, Eriol tried to hold onto sleep, to some dream of his body wrapped around Daidouji Tomoyo's, who was trapped underneath him, covering her like a blanket.<p>

_Just a moment longer…_

But then small toes were making a slow up and down journey along his left calf, pulling him into consciousness and into awareness of deep, even breathing fanned the side of his neck. Eriol let one eye slit open, just enough to see that there was a mass of dark tresses all over his pillows.

It wasn't a dream.

Eriol lay still for a minute, eyes re-closed, his body memorizing the feeling of her there.

He was still lying fully on top of her.

Carefully, Eriol shifted off Tomoyo to lie at her side, fixing the duvet and pausing to see that he didn't wake her. He wanted this time to himself. To watch her in the thin sunlight. To examine her. To know her in ways his heart wanted. His long finger reached out and traced the seashell shape of her ear, trailed down over her jaw to the rounded curve of her chin where he stopped for a moment before continuing his journey downward. At the base of her throat, he circled around the hollow hidden in shadow, drew a straight line over the delicate ridge of her collarbone and pressed softly on it. Tomoyo stirred and turned her head towards him, her face relaxed.

Gently, very gently, and ever so slowly, he saw her eyelids flutter. Tomoyo felt the chill air out of the blue; the warmth and weight she had slept under was gone and her body yearned to find out why—even wanted to find it again. When Tomoyo eventually opened both eyes, still a bit disoriented from sleep, she saw Eriol had his gaze fixed on her hand. He was caressing her arm, quietly uncurling each finger with such gentleness as though she was made from glass. Next, to her amusement, the sorcerer flattened her palm under his, measuring the length of her fingers with his, comparing her palm with his—which, of course, was much bigger. Tomoyo closed her fingers around his long ones, holding him there. That single action made him look up to meet her heavy-with-sleep eyes.

"Morning." Tomoyo mumbled, blushing as she felt the delicious ache her body suffers.

"Hey." The sorcerer whispered back, before holding back a chuckle as he noted her deadpanned face. "What?"

She couldn't stop her hand from touching the ridge of his nose in lingering caress. "Your glasses. You took them off."

"Of course, you silly. I was sleeping; it's obvious that I didn't need them."

"But I…" Tomoyo hesitated. Her inner self debated whether to tell Eriol whatever pop out in her hind or not. Actually, she quite liked his wake-up face. Sonomi once told her that one's true face could be seen when he or she just wake up from deep slumber. Messy and disoriented he or she might be, but that was the time someone wouldn't bother to fake anything. And in Eriol's, all Tomoyo saw was kindness.

She was never wrong to believe that he was actually a good person.

"What?" Eriol asked her again, catching her wandering hand. That was the moment Tomoyo realized he was also wearing his wedding band. Suddenly unable to find proper words, she lurched forward, linking her arms around his neck and pressed their bodies together tightly, her face buried under his chin. Despite his surprise, Eriol calmly returned the embrace, all the while kissing the exposed part of her shoulder blades.

Her hold tightened.

They spent a whole minute in silence.

"Don't shoo me away." She breathed at his neck, voice cracking. "Don't turn your back on me again. Don't pretend what we did last night never happen. I promise—"

Eriol felt his inside clenched with her every syllable.

"—I won't leave you. So, please promise me—"

Anything. He would grant her anything.

She had done too much for him, after all.

"—you'll let me stay."

His dark orbs fluttered open. Pulling away slightly so that he could look at her in the eye, his confused eyes only met her determined ones. Tomoyo had decided. She had made her mind. And now she needed an answer—something he never clearly gave her, until this moment.

"Yes," said Eriol hoarsely, nuzzling her twin bite marks. "Please stay. Don't go." He crushed her body to his, practically flattening her breasts against his chest. His knee nudged her legs apart, his hands were lost in her exquisite raven hair and under her butt cheeks. "Gods—oh shit, I need you."

As Tomoyo felt something hard poking at her stomach, she knew instantly that Eriol didn't need her for just blood.

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><p>WHAT woke them up several hours later were constant door-banging and some high-pitched, screechy voice which undoubtedly Nakuru's. "Master! Master! Dear Lord, until when do you plan on sleeping? Wake up! You skipped breakfast and lunch, no way in hell I'm letting you sleep any longer!"<p>

Tomoyo stirred slowly. She was knackered, but it felt good, almost similar with the feeling after working out in the morning. Patting Eriol's cheek softly, she spoke. "Akizuki-san is right, you know."

"Are you hungry?" Eriol asked Tomoyo, a bit rhetorical actually. The girl smiled in return.

"Very."

"Then let's go get you some bites." He slipped off the bed, grabbed his pajama pants, and started to get dressed. Tomoyo followed a moment later, forcing her numb limbs to move. She wobbled a little when she finally managed to get on her feet, yet thankfully Eriol's quick reflexes saved her from hitting the carpeted floor. "Careful," he said.

"It's okay. My legs are still—"

"I'm sorry."

Tomoyo immediately shook her head at his apology. "No, no, no. Don't say such things. This isn't your fault, Eriol. Honestly, I'd say that was… mind-blowing."

An awkward silence enveloped them. Eriol swallowed hard. His ego and male pride were inflated so much he could burst. Remembering the naked state of a petite girl in front of him, he picked his discarded shirt and offered her the garment. She thanked him quietly before slipping it on.

"I need a bath." She murmured. "I'm all sticky… your shirt will get dirty if I wear it too long."

Eriol gave her a deep, masculine chuckle. "Frankly, I don't mind even if you ruin all my shirts."

Tomoyo turned a pretty shade of pink. "That's not what I mean."

"Use my bathroom," said Eriol, gently taking her hand. "I'll wait at the dining room. Feel free to rummage my closet; I don't have your clothes here." He paused, as though contemplating, and added. "Or are you prefer wearing your own clothes? I can go to your room to pick a set of change."

"You don't have to."

"It's okay, really."

He didn't get an immediate answer. Tomoyo stayed silent for several seconds, biting hard on her lower lips. She was too embarrassed to say whatever was in her mind, but she wanted Eriol to know. "I… I want to borrow your clothes." Quickly the girl shifted her gaze so she was now staring at the floor, face reddened even more. "They feel warm."

Eriol gave her a gentle look—too bad Tomoyo didn't see it. "And you like that?"

A small nod was all he got.

But it was enough.

"I'll be downstairs." Turning around, Eriol opened the door and walked out of his room. His heart swelled with happiness. Taking some distance from her probably was a good idea, for he might throw her ass back to the bed if he stayed a little longer.

Akizuki Nakuru was reading the newspaper on one of the six dining chairs. Her eyes moved along the lines so fast like a scanner. A cup of tea—cold already—was in front of her. She seemed to hear his footsteps because she put down the newspaper as Eriol stepped closer.

"I'll be a good girl and give no comment." That statement was followed by a big, goofy grin plastered across the Moon Guardian's face. Nakuru reached for her tea cup and emptied the sweetened liquid. She always like some sugar in her drinks, whatever they were.

Eriol pulled out a chair across her before reaching for a huge croissant from the big plate on the dining table. "You made one already." His arm reached out to grab butter and jam. "By the way, Ruby Moon, do you have to make croissants this gigantic? They're almost thrice the normal size."

"I like them big! They're tastier this way."

"How the food taste depends on your skill, not their size."

"Size does matter, Master. Anything bigger will give you greater satisfaction." Nakuru reasoned.

Eriol couldn't help not to smirk. Usually he would like to rebut Nakuru and create a small, unimportant debate session with her. However, this time he agreed. "Indeed."

"What? No rebuttal? How unusual."

"Why should I? You're right. Getting satisfaction yourself is as important as making sure that you can satisfy others."

Rolling her eyes, Nakuru went back to reading. It was a good thing for Eriol to have a good mood, but to have perverted thoughts when eating was another. And she knew her master enough to catch the hint that he didn't mean his answer as an innocent feedback.

"Just eat your croissant, Master."

"I am eating, Ruby Moon. I'm eating."

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><p>TOMOYO just got out of the bathroom, hair still damp, when Eriol walked in and handed her his cell-phone. She gave him a confused look but received the device nonetheless. He mouthed something voicelessly and what Tomoyo read from the way his lips moved was: Sakura.<p>

What business made that girl call her now?

Slipping a strand of wet hair behind her earlobe using her thumb, Tomoyo positioned the cell-phone near her left ear. Her right hand gripped both ends of the untied sash of her bathrobe—Eriol's, technically—so that it wouldn't part open. "Hello. Sakura-san?"

"Tomoyo-san?" The cheerful voice from the other end of the call was never changed. The raven-haired girl smiled grimly. She knew she should stop thinking about sad stuff like that but she just couldn't help it. "Do you have any plan this afternoon?"

Usually, that kind of a question would lead to an invitation. Tomoyo didn't think she had one tonight—or so many nights before and onwards, for she was always home almost everyday—, but then she remembered that she wasn't the one who has the authorities in making decisions.

"Wait a minute. I need to ask my husband." She gave Sakura that answer instead, feeling a trail of shiver down her spine when the word 'husband' slipped her tongue. Somewhat it felt so intimate. Taking a deep breath to steady her quivering voice, Tomoyo put the cell-phone down and looked at the man sitting on a couch across the chamber. She knew he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Sakura using his magic by the way his eyes transfixed at her standing figure, but she would ask him directly.

"Hiira—," she began, yet her sentence was halted mid-way as Eriol put his finger across his lips. Tomoyo wanted to question him about it when suddenly she heard his voice inside her head.

That goddamn wizard was using telepathy on her.

While being in the same room!

_'Eriol_', his voice echoed in her head. _'Call me Eriol, not Hiiragizawa. We're married. She can hear you._'

Tomoyo smiled apologetically. '_Sorry. Habit_.'

'_I recall that you was able to call out my name properly last night. It won't be a problem if you continue calling me by first name from today onwards._' His smirk grew wider as pretty red blush spread across her face.

Swallowing her embarrassment, Tomoyo spoke as calmly as she could. "Eriol, do we have any plan tonight?"

The bespectacled sorcerer grinned.

"No, we don't."

Tomoyo mouthed a silent gratitude before talking to the cell-phone again. "Sakura-san, I'm free tonight. What's the matter?"

"You see… Christmas is approaching. So, I have this idea of us going shopping together. It's okay if you've already bought a present for Eriol-kun, though… But—"

Frankly speaking, Tomoyo couldn't pay attention to whatever things Sakura said afterwards. She was very surprised hearing the Card Mistress mentioned Christmas. Since living in Hiiragizawa Manor, Tomoyo never bother to check the calendar because she didn't see any meaning in it. She never left the town. Well, aside from going out buying groceries and supplies, practically she spent all her days home.

"…Tomoyo-san?"

The worry in Sakura's voice was what brought Tomoyo back from spacing out. She straightened her posture before replying in an attentive and enthusiastic manner. "Yes. I'd love to go gift-hunting with you, Sakura-san. Then, what time is it and where can we meet up?"

**.**

**to be continued.**


	18. The Missing Thing

from **skybluescramble** :

long time no see :)

really, it's been months.

first thing to say: I'm so sorry for the delay, but life has been hectic lately and I'm currently in a project of writing a (real) book… and with (suffocating) campus life, I'm forced to neglect my fanfictions.

I just couldn't find time and energy.

and unfortunately I cannot promise you immediate update, I'm really sorry.

well, this doesn't justify the unfairness I'm giving you but I hope you can understand.

secondly… thanks to you all who read, follow, and favorite this story, especially left me reviews: **ulq4schiffer**, **SecretlyInLoveWithYourFanfic**, **Zetsubouaichan**, **chiharu-tanaka**, **cheng**, **EuroCuttie**, **Sleepyreader319**, **and kururin-chan**.

proofreader credit: **elmzala**.

it's not much, but I think maybe it's still better than nothing…

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><p><span><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong>

Card Captor Sakura/カードキャプターさくら

CLAMP©1997

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><p><strong>:: : SCARLET : ::<strong>

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"WHERE did you plan to meet?" Eriol asked Tomoyo casually. He stood on the threshold of her door, one arm stretched against the door frame to support his weight as he watched the girl finishing up. Her back was facing him and she never looked back as she spoke—only meeting his gaze through the mirror—but Eriol wouldn't complain. From this position, he could see how her long tresses fell down to the small of her back like dark waterfall. Eriol knew that Tomoyo was petite, a bit under a woman's average height and she was even a few centimeters shorter than Sakura, yet she looked even smaller when he looked at her backside like this.

More fragile-looking.

As though she could disappear anytime.

That thought led Eriol to step across the threshold and approach her.

"At a coffee shop called Staubregen," Tomoyo answered while brushing her long hair, noticing the way Eriol became closer and closer in each passing second. "It's in downtown. I've never been there, though."

"I'll drop you off." He wasn't offering her, it was more like a statement. Tomoyo immediately understood that he wouldn't accept refusal, so she simply smiled in appreciation.

"Thanks,"

"You're welcome."

"Eriol—" Tomoyo bit her lower lip, suddenly hesitating. Calling the wizard by his first name was a bit harder than she thought. It gave her the feeling of intimacy and it was pretty difficult not to blush. "Do you want some?"

He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her toward his body, liking how the crown of her head touched his chin as if they were two pieces of a puzzle put together. "What?"

"My blood." Her voice sounded more confident now. "Don't you want some?"

"I'm not feeling hungry."

"But," she wriggled out of his arms and turned around to face him with stern eyes, "I'll be away for hours. According to my lifetime experience, it's impossible to shop quickly if you're going with Sakura."

Eriol cocked his head to one side coolly. "So?"

For a moment, Tomoyo looked like she just saw a flying whale—staring blankly at him with mouth slightly agape, unblinking—but then just as quickly, she got herself under control again and inhaled a deep breath. She was more than ready to give the man a good lecture so that the information could dawn on him.

"Don't you remember when I passed out because you took too much blood? No no no, don't answer me, it's a rhetorical question. I know you still do, Eriol. And Spinel reckoned that perhaps you've developed a greater need for my blood, which pretty much explains why yesterday I asked you to take blood six times—if you're curious about it. You implicitly said that you don't want to kill me and obviously I'm not yet ready to die. The problem is, you cannot deny your thirst. I cannot tolerate extreme blood loss. The only solution to this case I could think of is giving you blood more frequently, however in small dosage. That method gives me some time to recover, so it's safer."

_Clever_, Eriol commented inwardly. That way, he also could control himself from going berserk because of hunger.

Tomoyo waited for a response. When he said nothing in return, she simply gathered her hair in one shoulder until her bite marks were revealed and took a step closer to the man. "Come on. I have to hurry."

Worldlessly, Eriol leaned down and accepted her offer gratefully.

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><p>PIECE #17:<p>

**The Missing Thing**

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><p>SKY was having its prettiest shade of twilight as Tomoyo got out of Eriol's car. Gasping in awe, she told him about it and he let her enjoy the breathtaking sight for a whole minute before leading her into the coffee shop. "Let's go. We can't make Sakura wait for us any longer."<p>

He was right.

But what greeted them after entering that fancy, cozy, small shop was rather unexpected. On a table set for four people, Li Sakura seemed to be in a deep conversation with no other than Ishida Yuuki.

Tomoyo tensed instantly. Carefully she glanced to her side, wanting to know Eriol's reaction and wasn't surprised when she saw his jaw harden. His lips were pressed tight into a thin line, prohibiting any rude words to be blurted out. He hissed nonetheless, in a voice just a little louder than whispers so only she could hear: "What on earth is he doing here?"

"We went to the same university," Tomoyo said in a low volume. Her grip on his hand tightened as she hoped things would turn out fine. Awkwardness was alright, as long as they wouldn't cause a scene here. She hadn't discussed about that kissing incident at all with Eriol, and he didn't show any sign of will to bring the topic up either, so she had brushed it off.

But now…

Now that Ishida Yuuki was only a few meters away from them…

She realized Eriol hadn't forgotten about the incident.

"Actually, it was Sakura who introduced me to him," She quickly added, and was relieved when his lips which were previously pressed so tight into a thin line opened as he exhaled.

"I'll do my best to act civil," he promised.

Tomoyo nodded before putting her most convincing happy, bright smile (one skill she had developed and perfected as a Daidouji) and they walked towards Sakura, still hand in hand.

"Sakura-san, good afternoon," she greeted the brunette, whose green eyes lit up when she saw who called her name.

"Tomoyo-san!" beamed the Card Mistress, "Eriol-kun!"

"Sorry for making you wait." Taking the vacant chair in front of Sakura, Tomoyo smiled apologetically.

Sakura shook her head. "Don't be. Oh, this is Ishida Yuuki, my friend in college. I bumped into him on my way here and we were too much enjoying talking about some nostalgic things, I didn't even know how long we've been chatting." A sheepish grin spread across her face, but soon she was back into introducing. "Ishida-kun, this is Hiiragizawa Eriol. We were classmates in elementary school for about two years before he moved to England. And this lovely lady is his wife, Hiiragizawa Tomoyo."

Ishida gave a short, awkward nod to Eriol. "Hiiragizawa-san."

"Nice to meet you, Ishida-san."

Despite Eriol returning the polite gesture, the thick atmosphere growing between those men was quite obvious. Inwardly, Tomoyo thanked God for making Sakura oblivious about such matters since she was a kid. If she wasn't, she'd probably notice that they knew each other, even without any proper introduction.

"I need to use the restroom for awhile." Sakura said suddenly as she got on her feet, somehow in a rush. "Yuuki-kun, you can have a talk with Eriol-kun until I'm back. I won't be long."

Tomoyo wanted nothing more than to hug the brunette.

The three of them would be alone.

How could they get such a perfect timing like this?

She absently began counting when Sakura's back disappeared behind the ladies' restroom door.

_Three…_

They were definitely going to talk about the incident and straighten things out. Tomoyo could sense it.

_Two…_

But who would initiate the discussion, by the way?

_One_.

And Ishida Yuuki went for the prize. Swallowing hard, the man bravely apologized to both Eriol and Tomoyo. "I'm deeply sorry for the trouble I caused that time, Hiiragizawa-san. What I did was stupid."

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><p>THINKING shouldn't be this hard. Nevertheless, Tomoyo found it difficult to comprehend the meaning behind Ishida's explanation to which she listened around half an hour ago. His words were still lingering in her ears: "…<em>Initially, I went after Tomoyo-san because she looked so persistent to go home right away despite the hard downpour. Yet, suddenly I felt like having a déjà vu. I didn't know, but I felt as though I might lose something important if I let her go. I didn't even realize anymore who was standing before me. It was pure instinct and I felt like a jerk every second afterwards<em>…"

Staring blearily at a pig plushie in her hand—when and where the hell did she pick that thing?— Tomoyo sighed silently. At the moment, she was in a big department store with Sakura, who was in the dress section looking for a Christmas gift for Li Mei Lin—Syaoran's cousin. Tomoyo was thankful they split up because it gave her a little time to think.

Déjà vu.

It wasn't a common thing that came up in a discussion. However, Ishida used that word earlier.

And she knew why.

They had been in a similar situation back then, once. Long ago, when this fuss involving a certain mage named Hiiragizawa Eriol hadn't started yet. They were still and just best friends at that time. It was the same rainy day, they were sitting together in the same café and suddenly a random conversation about a bloke hitting on Tomoyo came up. Ishida didn't seem enthralled at the idea at all, so they had a hissing contest because Tomoyo thought he overreacted and acted as though he was her father. Disappointed and exasperated, the girl finally rose from her chair and walked out on Ishida.

What happened next, now that she recalled, was arguably cliché.

He chased her, managed to grab her hand at the front door and kissed her hard, admitting that it was pure jealousy that made him behave like a jerk. They officially started dating by the next day.

"But," Tomoyo murmured to herself, her fingers stroke the plushie she was holding, "if Yuuki-kun really thinks that he had a déjà vu, does it mean he still remembers me in some way?"

Unfortunately, her muse was stopped halfway as Sakura stepped into her view holding a big, panda doll.

"Tomoyo-san," the Card Mistress called, "isn't this cute? What do you think if I buy this for Tsubame-chan? Will it scare her?"

Putting down her plushie, Tomoyo approached the brunette with a smile. "No, Sakura-san. I think Tsubame-chan will be happy. But how about a cute sweater instead? You can buy her a huge doll next year, when she will be able to play with it." Then she quickly added, "That's just my suggestion, though."

"No, Tomoyo-san! You're right! I didn't even think about sweaters… yeah, it's winter, Tsubame-chan needs plenty of cute sweaters and warm clothes. I'll take your advice."

Those emerald orbs gleamed with happiness.

They shopped for about four hours. By the end, each of them carried at least five shopping bags and was way too spent to walk to the station or bus stop, so they decided to take a cab.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. Today was fun," Tomoyo said sincerely as the cab stopped in front of Hiiragizawa Manor. She took out her purse to give her share of the cab fare but Sakura shook her head, refusing the money.

She said, "I had a lot of fun, too. Tell Eriol-kun my greetings."

"I will."

Sakura gave the raven-haired girl a quick hug. "Bye-bye, Tomoyo-san."

When Sakura made a turn to get into the cab again, an idea flashed through Tomoyo's head. She wanted to make sure of something. She _had to_ make sure of something.

"Wait. Sakura-san?"

"Yes?"

"Why did…" Tomoyo swallowed, "why did you ask me to go shopping? I mean—there are your other friends…" She trailed off, remembering familiar faces like Mihara Chiharu, Sasaki Rika, Yanagisawa Naoko, Yamazaki Takashi, and other old friends. She blinked as her eyes grew hot, pool of tears threatening to form.

Sakura looked confused at first. But then she smiled. A wide, cheerful smile Tomoyo often saw in their childhood.

"I feel comfortable being around you, Tomoyo-san," She admitted with a soft chuckle. "Funny, isn't it? Somehow it feels as if we've been friends since God knows when but in reality we only know each other for a few weeks."

Tomoyo fell speechless. She didn't know what to say.

_If only Sakura remembered…_

"I hope you I didn't make you uncomfortable," Sakura finished her line with an apologetic grin.

"Oh, no. No, no," Tomoyo apologized immediately, "I'm just… curious. I was really happy when you asked."

Sakura gave a small nod. "Okay. Alright. See you later, Tomoyo-san."

"See you," Tomoyo replied softly.

The brunette got back into the cab and Tomoyo watched, waving her goodbye as the car drove away; a pang of bitterness filling her chest.

* * *

><p>AFTER keeping her shopping bags inside a big built-in cupboard in her room, Tomoyo slipped out of her clothes and threw herself onto the bed, face first. She was ultimately knackered. Nakuru was in the kitchen cutting some vegetables and Eriol was nowhere to be seen—possibly in the library, reading or thinking about anything on his infamous Throne of Evil. She had told the Moon Guardian about not being able to help her prepare dinner tonight. She wanted to rest. To sleep.<p>

She drifted in a deep slumber awhile later.

Only Tomoyo couldn't get the rest that she wanted.

When she found herself inside a pitch black room which seemed endless, so dark she could not see anything but her own body and with a knowledge that she was dreaming, Tomoyo knew almost instantly she wasn't having a usual dream.

The Punisher would show up, sooner or later.

She was being called.

He (although Tomoyo wasn't sure that thing—or creature—was male) wanted to talk to her.

'Amazing,'

A rough, gruff voice echoed surrounding her before it narrowed down to a certain spot and a tall, thin, hooded figure was beginning to form in front of her, only separated by a meter or so.

'It's amazing that you know it's me.' His cold, emotionless voice boomed inside her head. He always talked to her that way, using telepathy. Tomoyo inwardly wondered whether The Punisher didn't want to talk directly to her or it was the only way of speaking he could do.

Despite her feet shaking slightly, Tomoyo tried to make her voice sound even and unaffected. "Of course. You're getting predictable."

'Am I?'

"Yes." She raised her chin defiantly. "Don't you want to tell me something?"

'I do.'

"Then go ahead. I'm all ears." She opened both arms as if she was going to give The Punisher a bear hug. The girl was having chilly, uncomfortable shivers up and down her spine, yet she did her best to stand her ground. "But can you please try not to sound so grumpy all the time? You never show your face, must I remind you, and it frightens me to death when you sound angry. Do you know how it feels to have an unfriendly voice booming inside your head?"

'I cannot change the way I speak.'

Tomoyo sighed. Her arms dropped back at her sides. "Alright, then. Fine."

'You need to be reminded of our last conversation.' The right sleeve of The Punisher's big cloak shifted, and in the next second Tomoyo saw the most horrendous hand she'd ever seen. Those wrinkled fingers are long, thin, and bony. The skin looked grayish as though it was going rotten. On his fingertips were long, dirty, blackened nails. Personally thinking, he was far more like a demon than a god. 'My offer.'

"I remember that."

'Will you take it? Or leave it?'

"You hadn't given me any explanation!" Tomoyo argued. "How could I decide something that is still unclear to me? I don't even understand what you mean by saying '_the importance of soul_' and '_the value of life_'."

'I will explain it only when you agree to take the offer.'

"That's unfair."

Her voice wavered slightly. Nevertheless, the hooded figure before her seemed unaffected although it was crystal clear that she was indignant. 'Your answer, Daidouji Tomoyo.'

It took her a couple of minutes before swallowing hard and forcing the words out. "I'll take it."

'Understood.'

"But—" Tomoyo started, suddenly feeling unsure. "—will Eriol be released from his Curse? For real?"

'Yes, if you succeed.'

"What must I do, then?"

Tomoyo had a vague feeling that The Punisher snickered at her, even though she didn't hear anything but silence. Her heart beat faster, her blood rushed; she never felt more tense than now. She only waited for seconds until he responded to her question, yet it felt like eternity. And when eventually she heard him, she almost doubted her hearing.

'Hiiragizawa Eriol has to experience love.'

…

"Pardon me?"

The Punisher didn't seem to hear Tomoyo. Or if he did, then he simply brushed it off.

'Daidouji Tomoyo, if you want Hiiragizawa Eriol to be thoroughly released from his Curse, then you have to make him love you and acknowledge his feelings. Whether you fall in love with him in the process or not is your prerogative. If you accomplish it, then I give you my word that everything will be back to the way they're supposed to be.'

"Wait!" Though her facial expression was deadpan, the inside of Tomoyo's head was a jumbled mess with information and thoughts. She blinked furiously in an attempt of clearing her mind a little and took a deep breath. "Didn't he experience it before? Love? With Mizuki Kaho-san?"

'No. He didn't.'

_What?_

"Why?" Tomoyo was very curious. "Tell me."

'About that matter, I believe," said The Punisher in a voice which was getting fainter and fainter as though he was walking away from her, 'you should ask him yourself.'

And once again Tomoyo was alone in a deep, cold, endless darkness.

But not for long.

A small tap on her left shoulder sent her awake, both lids fluttered open and she sleepily stretched out with arms raised high. A dark, blurry, and tall silhouette came into her still-unclear view, efficiently blocking her sensitive eyes from the lamp. Mumbling her gratitude incoherently, Tomoyo rubbed her eyes before trying to find her voice.

"…Eriol?"

A gentle chuckle greeted her ears. "I intended to wake you up around two hours earlier, but you look pretty exhausted so I let you sleep a little longer. But now you have to eat. I brought your dinner up here, because Nakuru had already cleaned up the dining table."

Tomoyo shifted her gaze a bit.

True. A tray full with various food on different, fancy plates and bowls was waiting at her bedside.

"I brought your blood-replenishing pills as well."

A small smile cracked on her face at his last sentence. Typical Eriol. Always very thoughtful, organized, and prepared. Never once the sorcerer forgot reminding her to take those pills every day, moreover since she had passed out due to him being on high demand of her blood recently.

"Water?" he asked softly.

"Thank you."

She gratefully accepted a glass of water he offered and emptied the content in three large gulps. She was thirsty, who could blame her? A low growl inside her stomach made Tomoyo realize how starving she was, and the girl blushed slightly when Eriol gave her a knowing smirk, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He picked a plate of medium-cooked steak—the meat was already cut neatly in bite size—and a fork.

"Eat," Eriol commanded.

His controlling side was back in action. Nevertheless, this time there was no menacing tone like the one which he often let her hear in their first few weeks of living together.

"What about you?" Tomoyo asked him back with pure care reflected in her orbs. "Have you eaten?"

"I'm waiting for my dessert," he calmly stated, smirking inwardly when the girl before him tried hard to hide her deepening blush. "I want you to finish dinner and drink your blood replenishing pills so that you won't faint again when feeding me later."

**.**

**to be continued.**


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